Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Owler VS Surf

Compare Owler VS Surf and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Owler logo Owler

Owler is a crowdsourced data model allowing users to follow, track, and research companies.

Surf logo Surf

A simple web browser based on WebKit2/GTK+
  • Owler Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-18
  • Surf Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-25

Owler features and specs

  • Competitive Insights
    Owler provides detailed competitive insights, including news, financials, and key personnel changes, enabling businesses to stay informed about their competitors.
  • User-Generated Data
    The platform leverages crowdsourced data, which can offer unique perspectives and more frequent updates on company information compared to official records.
  • Customizable Alerts
    Users can set up customizable alerts for specific companies or industries, ensuring they receive timely updates relevant to their interests.
  • Free Basic Plan
    Owler offers a basic plan at no cost, which is beneficial for startups and small businesses with limited budgets.
  • Community Interaction
    The platform encourages user interaction to rate and review companies, which can provide a more community-driven assessment of businesses.

Possible disadvantages of Owler

  • Data Accuracy
    Since much of Owler's data is user-generated, there may be concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the information provided.
  • Limited Features in Free Plan
    The free plan has limited functionalities and access to deeper insights often requires a paid subscription.
  • User Interface
    Some users find the interface to be less intuitive and in need of improvements for better navigation and user experience.
  • Data Coverage
    Owler may not cover all companies or industries comprehensively, potentially leaving gaps in competitive analysis.
  • Dependence on Community Activity
    The quality and quantity of data can heavily depend on how active the user community is, which might lead to inconsistent information across different sectors.

Surf features and specs

  • Minimalism
    Surf is extremely lightweight and focuses on offering a minimalistic web browsing experience, which can result in faster performance and lower resource usage.
  • Customizability
    Users can tailor Surf to their specific needs through patches and configuration. This makes it highly adaptable for those who are comfortable with a bit of coding.
  • Integration with Suckless Tools
    Surf fits seamlessly into the Suckless ecosystem, integrating well with other minimal and efficient tools like the DWM window manager.
  • Privacy
    By default, Surf doesn't include many of the tracking features found in mainstream browsers, potentially offering a more privacy-conscious browsing experience.
  • Compliance with UNIX Philosophy
    Surf adheres to the UNIX philosophy of doing one thing well, focusing solely on web browsing without additional, potentially unwanted, features.

Possible disadvantages of Surf

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Customizing and configuring Surf can be challenging for users who are not familiar with programming or the command line.
  • Limited Features
    Due to its minimalistic design, Surf lacks many modern features like extensions, tabs, and a built-in password manager that are standard in other browsers.
  • Manual Updates
    Users need to manually update the browser, which can be a hassle compared to automatic updates provided by mainstream browsers.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Surf may have trouble rendering some modern web pages correctly, as it lacks some of the compatibility layers found in more feature-complete browsers.
  • Community Support
    Being a niche and minimalist browser, Surf does not have as large a user base or as much community support compared to more popular browsers.

Analysis of Owler

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Owler is considered a good tool for individuals and businesses seeking to enhance their competitive intelligence capabilities. It offers a wide array of features that make it a valuable resource for staying informed about industry movements and competitor actions.

Why this product is good

  • Owler is a business information and crowdsourced competitive intelligence platform that provides company data, news updates, and industry analysis. It is useful for gaining insights into competitors, tracking market trends, and obtaining company profiles. Users appreciate it for offering data that is continuously updated and verified by a community of contributors.

Recommended for

    Owler is particularly recommended for business analysts, sales and marketing professionals, and entrepreneurs who need reliable and up-to-date information on competitors and market trends. It's also beneficial for investors and job seekers looking to research companies.

Analysis of Surf

Overall verdict

  • Surf can be considered 'good' for users who value simplicity, minimal system resource usage, and the ability to customize their browsing experience via external scripts or patches. However, it might not be suitable for those who rely heavily on modern web features and extensions available in mainstream browsers.

Why this product is good

  • Surf is a minimalist web browser created by the Suckless community, known for developing software that adheres to the philosophy of simplicity and clarity. It is designed to be lightweight and efficient, making it suitable for users who prefer minimalism and are comfortable using a browser without a graphical user interface (GUI) for settings or extensions.

Recommended for

  • Users who are familiar with Unix-like operating systems and command-line interfaces.
  • Individuals who prefer lightweight and efficient software.
  • Those willing to customize their browser through external tools and scripts.
  • Minimalists who do not require a plethora of features and extensions.

Owler videos

Owler Introduction

More videos:

  • Review - Owler Ashford Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k 2017. Grit and Ice were the themes here...

Surf videos

Pro Surfer Reviews Surf Movies, from 'Blue Crush' to 'Point Break' | Vanity Fair

More videos:

  • Review - Noel's "2021 Favorite Finds" Surfboards & Surf Product Must Haves
  • Tutorial - Surf Tip "How to Surf Faster in Small Waves" Part 1

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Owler and Surf)
Data Dashboard
100 100%
0% 0
Web Browsers
0 0%
100% 100
Business & Commerce
100 100%
0% 0
Web Development Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Owler and Surf. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Surf seems to be a lot more popular than Owler. While we know about 46 links to Surf, we've tracked only 1 mention of Owler. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Owler mentions (1)

  • A web app/executable that can collect data from a number of databases.
    Owler is a good example of the type of app I need: https://corp.owler.com/. Source: over 4 years ago

Surf mentions (46)

  • My server is a phone now
    When I read about the browser 'surf', I first thought of the browser from suckless: https://surf.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 days ago
  • How to build a circular LCD clock
    Interesting, surf is based off WebKit2. https://surf.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Ladybird browser spreads its wings
    What about surf? https://surf.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • A peculiarity of the X Window System: Windows all the way down
    Another awesome aspect of X11: Xembed. Since it's "windows all the way down" you can have apps (rather than the window manager or root window) be the parent of other app windows. Two nifty examples of this: * https://tools.suckless.org/tabbed/ * https://surf.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • The Ladybird Browser Project
    Don't forget WebKit. It leads to project such as https://surf.suckless.org. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Owler and Surf, you can also consider the following products

QlikSense - A business discovery platform that delivers self-service business intelligence capabilities

Coindive - Stay effortlessly updated on your favorite crypto projects.

Whatagraph - Whatagraph is the most visual multi-source marketing reporting platform. Built in collaboration with digital marketing agencies

Sidekick Browser - The fastest browser for work ever made

Foxmetrics - We track the interactions of your customers with your web or mobile applications in real-time, and provide actionable metrics that will help increase your conversion.

Vivaldi - Vivaldi is a free, fast web browser designed for power-users. You decide how you browse. Download Vivaldi's fully customisable browser now and browse your way.