Surge is a terminal user interface download manager built in Go that prioritizes speed and keyboard-driven workflows for power users.
Surge addresses the limitation of single-connection downloads by opening multiple parallel connections, up to sixteen by default, to split files into chunks and download them simultaneously. The tool goes beyond basic parallelization by supporting downloads from multiple mirror sources at once, with automatic failover handling and worker distribution across available mirrors. It offers a streaming mode for sequential downloads of media files that users want to preview while downloading. The architecture runs a single background daemon engine that multiple terminal sessions can queue downloads into, consolidating all transfers through one efficient manager. The interface is built with Bubble Tea and Lipgloss, providing a customizable theme engine and full keyboard navigation.
Surge suits developers and power users who want to maximize bandwidth utilization and prefer terminal-based workflows over graphical interfaces. The tool is particularly valuable for users downloading large files, working with multiple mirrors, or needing to preview media while it downloads. The project includes a headless server mode and CLI tool for automation beyond the interactive TUI, making it adaptable to scripting and background tasks. The documentation covers optimization techniques including work stealing and slow worker handling for those interested in the performance mechanics.
The project is maintained by a small team of computer science students working on it between classes and exams. Development includes active work on a browser extension, though the extension currently requires sideloading rather than official store distribution. The maintainers are seeking support for publishing costs, development tool licenses, and integration work with debrid services. The project accepts contributions and maintains documentation covering settings, CLI reference, customization guides, and performance optimization details.
