Can I import my Eagle library into OY.Surf?

Yes. Settings → Library → "Choose Eagle library…", pick the .library folder, and OY.Surf imports tags, folders (as collections), ratings, source URLs and item notes. It reads the library only — nothing is written, moved or copied — so Eagle keeps working exactly as before.

Will importing change or move my files?

No. OY.Surf indexes the originals where they already are, inside your Eagle library. The import writes only to OY.Surf's own database. Running it twice merges rather than duplicating.

Do my Eagle tags survive the move?

Yes — tags come across as tags, and Eagle's nested folders become collections named "Parent / Child" so the hierarchy is still readable. Ratings, source links and item notes come too; imported notes are full-text searchable immediately.

Does OY.Surf have tags like Eagle?

Yes: tag any file or a whole selection, filter the library by tag from the sidebar, and tags feed the search index. On a multi-selection a partial tag shows as "3/8" and one click applies it to all.

Is OY.Surf's AI search better than Eagle's?

They index different things. Eagle searches image content and text metadata offline. OY.Surf indexes the text inside your files — OCR, PDF bodies, notes, video transcripts — and re-ranks results with a cross-encoder, so it answers content questions rather than filename questions.

Is OY.Surf free like Eagle's one-time licence?

OY.Surf is free while in beta, needs no account, and runs its AI on-device.

Can I keep using Eagle after importing?

Yes. Because the import never modifies the Eagle library, both apps can read the same files. Many people run them side by side for a while.

Local image organizer

OY.Surf vs Eagle

Eagle is the mature local organizer — hierarchical tags, folders, ratings, a plugin ecosystem, Windows + Mac. OY.Surf is the local-first, on-device, free alternative — here's the honest comparison.

TL;DR

Eagle is the mature local organizer — hierarchical tags, folders, ratings, a plugin ecosystem, Windows + Mac.
OY.Surf imports your Eagle library (tags, folders, ratings, source links, notes) without touching it, then adds search that reads INSIDE your files plus on-device generation and editing.
Use Eagle for meticulous manual curation across two platforms; use OY.Surf when you want the library to understand and create — and you want to keep your tags either way.

You do not have to choose blind. OY.Surf reads an Eagle library directly — tags, folders, ratings, source URLs and notes come across in one step, and nothing in the Eagle library is written, moved or copied, so Eagle keeps working exactly as before. What you gain is a library that reads inside files (OCR, PDFs, video transcripts, notes) and can generate and edit images on-device.

Quick comparison

Local image organizer	OY.Surf	Eagle
Browse local folders	✓	✓
Tags, folders, ratings	✓	✓
Import an Eagle library (tags, folders, ratings, notes)	✓	—
Search inside PDFs, notes, video transcripts	✓	—
Generate images on-device	✓	—
Edit images (bg removal, upscale, crop) on-device	✓	—
Ask your library in chat, with sources	✓	—
Screen recording + voice dictation	✓	—
Windows	—	✓
Plugin ecosystem	—	✓
Price	Free	One-time licence

What is Eagle?

Eagle is a desktop app for collecting, tagging and browsing images and references locally, with a one-time lifetime licence and 400k+ users on Windows and macOS. It is very good at what it does: hierarchical tags, smart folders, ratings, duplicate detection, image annotation, a browser extension and a JavaScript plugin ecosystem. Eagle 5 adds AI Search that runs offline — visual similarity over your images plus semantic matching over their metadata (filenames, descriptions, notes) — and AI Action for automated naming and tagging.

Visit Eagle ↗

What is OY.Surf?

OY.Surf is a local-first visual workbench for macOS. It opens any folder you already have — Dropbox, Downloads, a render output directory — and indexes it in place, so nothing is uploaded. On top of your files it runs on-device AI: descriptions and semantic search, instruction-based image editing (Qwen-Image-Edit), generation (Z-Image Turbo), an Air-style canvas with smart-resize and skills, plus screen recording (Surf Studio) and voice dictation (Surf Flow). The default is free and offline; cloud is opt-in with your own key.

OY.Surf vs Eagle, point by point

Can I bring my Eagle library across?

Yes, in one step. Settings → Library → "Choose Eagle library…" reads the library folder and reports what is in it, then imports: tags become tags, Eagle folders become collections (hierarchy preserved as "Parent / Child"), stars become ratings, source URLs and item notes come with them. Your Eagle library is only ever read — files are indexed where they already sit, so you can run both apps side by side while you decide.

How is the AI search different?

Eagle's AI Search is offline and indexes image content plus text metadata — filenames, descriptions and notes. OY.Surf indexes what is INSIDE the files: text recognised in images (OCR), the body of PDFs and notes, and video transcripts, chunked and embedded, then re-ranked by a cross-encoder. So "what did we decide about pricing" finds the paragraph inside a PDF, not just a file whose name mentions pricing.

OY.Surf — Eagle comparison: local-first canvas and editing

Can it create and edit, not just organize?

OY.Surf generates images (Z-Image Turbo) and edits them on-device — background removal, AI upscale, crop, flip, rotate, adjust, convert — from the viewer, the grid, the canvas or a slash command in chat. Eagle has no native generation or editing; its AI plugins call external services.

Anything beyond images?

OY.Surf also records your screen with a Screen-Studio-grade editor (Surf Studio), transcribes speech as you dictate (Surf Flow), reads video scenes, and answers questions about your library in chat with clickable sources. That is well outside an organizer's scope.

Where does Eagle still win?

Windows support, a plugin ecosystem with a community plugin centre, image annotation/markup, library sync through Dropbox or Google Drive, and years of polish on manual curation. If those are your daily tools, Eagle remains the stronger organizer — and the importer means trying OY.Surf costs you nothing.

When Eagle is the better choice

Eagle is the better choice if you are on Windows, rely on its plugin ecosystem, or want a focused, mature manual organizer with markup and library sync. It is a genuinely good product — the importer exists precisely because we would rather you keep your years of tagging than start over.

Bottom line

Eagle organizes beautifully. OY.Surf imports that organization, then reads inside your files and creates — all on your Mac, for free.

FAQ

Can I import my Eagle library into OY.Surf?: Yes. Settings → Library → "Choose Eagle library…", pick the .library folder, and OY.Surf imports tags, folders (as collections), ratings, source URLs and item notes. It reads the library only — nothing is written, moved or copied — so Eagle keeps working exactly as before.
Will importing change or move my files?: No. OY.Surf indexes the originals where they already are, inside your Eagle library. The import writes only to OY.Surf's own database. Running it twice merges rather than duplicating.
Do my Eagle tags survive the move?: Yes — tags come across as tags, and Eagle's nested folders become collections named "Parent / Child" so the hierarchy is still readable. Ratings, source links and item notes come too; imported notes are full-text searchable immediately.
Does OY.Surf have tags like Eagle?: Yes: tag any file or a whole selection, filter the library by tag from the sidebar, and tags feed the search index. On a multi-selection a partial tag shows as "3/8" and one click applies it to all.
Is OY.Surf's AI search better than Eagle's?: They index different things. Eagle searches image content and text metadata offline. OY.Surf indexes the text inside your files — OCR, PDF bodies, notes, video transcripts — and re-ranks results with a cross-encoder, so it answers content questions rather than filename questions.
Is OY.Surf free like Eagle's one-time licence?: OY.Surf is free while in beta, needs no account, and runs its AI on-device.
Can I keep using Eagle after importing?: Yes. Because the import never modifies the Eagle library, both apps can read the same files. Many people run them side by side for a while.