42links vs Omnivore
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted bookmarks & read-it-later options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
42links
Bookmarking server supporting multiple accounts
VS
Omnivore
Read-it-later app with highlights and newsletter support
| Feature | 42links | Omnivore |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later |
| License | BSD-3-Clause-No-Military-License | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | CommonLisp | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 16,211 |
| First released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Replaces | — | Pocket, Instapaper |
Why pick each one
Choose 42links if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause-No-Military-License license
- Written in CommonLisp
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Omnivore if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 16.2k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is 42links or Omnivore better?
Neither is universally better. Omnivore has the larger community, while 42links is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are 42links and Omnivore free and open-source?
Yes. 42links is licensed under BSD-3-Clause-No-Military-License and Omnivore under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run 42links and Omnivore with Docker?
42links: check the project docs for container support. Omnivore: yes.