head to head · open source
slate vs Deta Surf
slate has 31,748 GitHub stars, 3,302 forks, 653 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. Deta Surf has 3,572 stars, 251 forks, 32 open issues and last shipped 27 days ago. slate leads on adoption by 789% (31,748 vs 3,572 stars). slate is written in TypeScript under MIT; Deta Surf is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. slate has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, Deta Surf 7%. slate was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| slate | Deta Surf | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 3.6K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-13 | 2026-08-24 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.3K | ⑂ 251 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick slate if
- You weight community size — 32K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Deta Surf if
- You want the Deta Surf 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 Deta Surf fits your workflow better
About slate
Slate is a completely customizable framework for building rich text editors, written in TypeScript and released under the MIT licence, for JavaScript and React developers who need an editor that goes well past what a fixed schema can offer.
read the full slate overview →
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 →
More in Productivity & Utilities
Related comparisons
More Browsers & Extensions projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Browsers & Extensions field.
Frequently asked questions
Is slate or Deta Surf more popular?
slate has 31,748 GitHub stars and Deta Surf has 3,572. slate has the larger community by that measure.
Are slate and Deta Surf free?
Both are open source. slate is licensed under MIT and Deta Surf under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between slate and Deta Surf?
slate is written in TypeScript and Deta Surf 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, slate or Deta Surf?
Choose slate if you want the larger community (31,748 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Deta Surf if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.