Surya vs 
MinerU
Surya vs MinerU compared for 2026 — features, license, ease of use, performance and which one to choose. Modern OCR with layout detection vs PDF to Markdown with formulas and tables.
Updated regularly · curated by olud.ai
Surya vs MinerU at a glance
| Spec | Surya | MinerU |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Document AI & OCR | Document AI & OCR |
| Type | OCR toolkit | Document extractor |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Runs locally | Yes | Yes |
| Primary language | Python | Python |
| Ease of use | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Best for | developers who need OCR beyond plain text | scientific PDFs with formulas |
| GitHub stars | — | 75.3k |
How Surya and MinerU score
| Criterion | Surya | MinerU |
|---|---|---|
| Popularity | n/a | 4.5 |
| Maintenance | n/a | 5.0 |
| Ease of use | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Privacy | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| License freedom | 3.5 | 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
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
MinerU
MinerU extracts text, tables, formulas and images from PDFs into Markdown or JSON, handling scientific documents particularly well.
- Extracts formulas as LaTeX
- Strong table structure recovery
- Handles scanned documents
Key differences
Surya is oCR toolkit, while MinerU is document extractor. Their licenses differ (GPL-3.0 vs AGPL-3.0), which matters if you ship a commercial product. In short, Surya fits developers who need OCR beyond plain text, and MinerU fits scientific PDFs with formulas.
Which should you choose?
Choose Surya for developers who need OCR beyond plain text. Choose MinerU for scientific PDFs with formulas.
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 Surya or MinerU easier to use?
Both sit at a similar level (Intermediate). Your choice should come down to fit rather than difficulty.
Are Surya and MinerU free?
Surya is free and open source (GPL-3.0), and MinerU is free and open source (AGPL-3.0). Neither charges for the core software.
Can I run Surya and MinerU locally?
Surya: yes · MinerU: yes. Both can be used without sending your data to a third-party cloud where their setup allows.
Surya vs MinerU — which should I pick in 2026?
Choose Surya for developers who need OCR beyond plain text. Choose MinerU for scientific PDFs with formulas.
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