head to head · open source
SurfSense vs MiaoYan
SurfSense has 16,770 GitHub stars, 1,598 forks, 130 open issues and last shipped today. MiaoYan has 8,719 stars, 522 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped yesterday. SurfSense leads on adoption by 92% (16,770 vs 8,719 stars). SurfSense is written in Python under Apache-2.0; MiaoYan is written in Swift under MIT. SurfSense has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, MiaoYan 6%. SurfSense 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.
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Side by side
| SurfSense | MiaoYan | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 17K | ★ 8.7K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 522 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick SurfSense if
- You weight community size — 17K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick MiaoYan if
- You want the MiaoYan feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You evaluated both and MiaoYan fits your workflow better
About SurfSense
English Español Português हिन्दी 简体中文 SurfSense: The Open Source NotebookLM Alternative for Open Web Research SurfSense is the open source NotebookLM alternative for AI agents , an open web research platform with live data connectors. Your agents research the live web with structured data from Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Amazon, Walmart, Google Maps, Google Search, Indeed, and any page on the open web , through one REST API or MCP server . Scheduled and event triggered agents turn what they find into briefs and alerts, and a built in knowledge base keeps every finding searchable with citations. [!NOTE]…
read the full SurfSense overview →
About MiaoYan
English 简体中文 MiaoYan Lightweight Markdown note taking app for macOS Features Fantastic : Local first, no data collection, split editor & preview, wikilink backlinks, LaTeX, Mermaid Beautiful : Minimalist design, three column layout, dark mode, macOS 26 glass, distraction free Fast : Swift 6 native, better performance than Electron based apps Simple : Lightweight, version history, keyboard shortcuts, auto formatting Installation 1. Mac App Store (paid, automatic updates): 2. Homebrew : 3. GitHub Releases : download the latest DMG from GitHub Releases (macOS 11.5+) All three options share the same codebase and…
read the full MiaoYan overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is SurfSense or MiaoYan more popular?
SurfSense has 16,770 GitHub stars and MiaoYan has 8,719. SurfSense has the larger community by that measure.
Are SurfSense and MiaoYan free?
Both are open source. SurfSense is licensed under Apache-2.0 and MiaoYan under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between SurfSense and MiaoYan?
SurfSense is written in Python and MiaoYan in Swift. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, SurfSense or MiaoYan?
Choose SurfSense if you want the larger community (16,770 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose MiaoYan if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.