Docling vs 
Surya
Docling vs Surya compared for 2026 — features, license, ease of use, performance and which one to choose. IBM-grade document understanding vs Modern OCR with layout detection.
Updated regularly · curated by OpenSourceAI.tech
Docling vs Surya at a glance
| Spec | Docling | Surya |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document AI & OCR | Document AI & OCR |
| Type | Document parsing toolkit | OCR toolkit |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Runs locally | Yes | Yes |
| Primary language | Python | Python |
| Ease of use | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Best for | teams building document pipelines for RAG | developers who need OCR beyond plain text |
| GitHub stars | 63.1k | — |
How Docling and Surya score
| Criterion | Docling | Surya |
|---|---|---|
| Popularity | 4.5 | n/a |
| Maintenance | 5.0 | n/a |
| Ease of use | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Privacy | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| License freedom | 5.0 | 3.5 |
Scores are computed automatically from public signals — GitHub stars (popularity), recent commit activity (maintenance), license type (freedom), local-first design (privacy) and onboarding complexity (ease of use). Indicative, not a verdict.
What each one is
Docling
Docling parses PDFs, DOCX, PPTX and images into structured representations with layout, tables and reading order, designed to plug straight into RAG frameworks.
- Rich structured output: layout, tables, reading order
- First-class integrations with LangChain and LlamaIndex
- Backed by IBM Research, MIT-licensed
Surya
Surya is a modern OCR toolkit providing text recognition in 90+ languages plus layout analysis, reading order and table detection.
- 90+ languages with strong accuracy
- Layout, reading order and table detection
- Runs locally on modest GPUs
Key differences
Docling is document parsing toolkit, while Surya is oCR toolkit. Their licenses differ (MIT vs GPL-3.0), which matters if you ship a commercial product. In short, Docling fits teams building document pipelines for RAG, and Surya fits developers who need OCR beyond plain text.
Which should you choose?
Choose Docling for teams building document pipelines for RAG. Choose Surya for developers who need OCR beyond plain text.
There is rarely one winner — many setups use both. The right pick depends on your hardware, your team's skills, and whether you value simplicity or control.
Frequently asked questions
Is Docling or Surya easier to use?
Both sit at a similar level (Intermediate). Your choice should come down to fit rather than difficulty.
Are Docling and Surya free?
Docling is free and open source (MIT), and Surya is free and open source (GPL-3.0). Neither charges for the core software.
Can I run Docling and Surya locally?
Docling: yes · Surya: yes. Both can be used without sending your data to a third-party cloud where their setup allows.
Docling vs Surya — which should I pick in 2026?
Choose Docling for teams building document pipelines for RAG. Choose Surya for developers who need OCR beyond plain text.
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