head to head · open source
SurfSense vs iwe
SurfSense has 16,797 GitHub stars, 1,601 forks, 130 open issues and last shipped yesterday. iwe has 1,816 stars, 94 forks, 1 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. SurfSense leads on adoption by 825% (16,797 vs 1,816 stars). SurfSense is written in Python under Apache-2.0; iwe is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. SurfSense has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, iwe 5%. 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 | iwe | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 17K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-07 | 2026-11-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 94 |
| 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 iwe if
- You want the iwe feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and iwe 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 iwe
IWE Memory system for you and your AI agents Turn your thinking into queryable context IWE turns a directory of markdown files into a knowledge graph — a connected structure you browse from your editor and your AI queries from the command line. Same files, same links, two interfaces. No cloud, no database, no lock in. Version everything with git. IWE is for people who want database style queries on their notes — "all drafts under this subtree", "every accepted decision in Q1" — without moving them into an actual database. Write in Markdown , structure with links, give AI agents the tools to navigate your…
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Frequently asked questions
Is SurfSense or iwe more popular?
SurfSense has 16,797 GitHub stars and iwe has 1,816. SurfSense has the larger community by that measure.
Are SurfSense and iwe free?
Both are open source. SurfSense is licensed under Apache-2.0 and iwe under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between SurfSense and iwe?
SurfSense is written in Python and iwe in Rust. 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 iwe?
Choose SurfSense if you want the larger community (16,797 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose iwe if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.