head to head · open source
Deta Surf vs database-build
Deta Surf has 3,572 GitHub stars, 251 forks, 32 open issues and last shipped 27 days ago. database-build has 2,955 stars, 274 forks, 49 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Deta Surf leads on adoption by 21% (3,572 vs 2,955 stars). Deta Surf is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; database-build is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Deta Surf has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, database-build 9%. Deta Surf was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (llm), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Deta Surf | database-build | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.6K | ★ 3.0K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-08-24 | 2026-06-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 251 | ⑂ 274 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Deta Surf if
- You weight community size — 3.6K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick database-build if
- You want the database-build feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and database-build fits your workflow better
About Deta Surf
Deta Surf is an open source AI notebook and browser workspace. It combines tabs, split view, a sidebar, local files, web pages, and generated notes in one application. The project lives in the productivity and browser extension ecosystem, and it is built primarily with Svelte, TypeScript, and Rust. It runs on MacOS, Windows, and Linux.
read the full Deta Surf overview →
About database-build
database.build is an in browser Postgres sandbox with AI assistance — formerly named postgres.new — for developers who want to spin up disposable Postgres databases without provisioning or paying for a server.
read the full database-build overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Deta Surf or database-build more popular?
Deta Surf has 3,572 GitHub stars and database-build has 2,955. Deta Surf has the larger community by that measure.
Are Deta Surf and database-build free?
Both are open source. Deta Surf is licensed under Apache-2.0 and database-build under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Deta Surf and database-build?
Deta Surf is written in TypeScript and database-build in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Deta Surf or database-build?
Choose Deta Surf if you want the larger community (3,572 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose database-build if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.