42links vs Shiori
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
Shiori
Simple bookmark manager built with Go
| Feature | 42links | Shiori |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later |
| License | BSD-3-Clause-No-Military-License | MIT |
| Language | CommonLisp | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 11,574 |
| First released | 2020 | 2017 |
| Replaces | — | Pocket, Raindrop.io |
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 Shiori if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 11.6k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is 42links or Shiori better?
Shiori is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider 42links if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are 42links and Shiori free and open-source?
Yes. 42links is licensed under BSD-3-Clause-No-Military-License and Shiori under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run 42links and Shiori with Docker?
42links: check the project docs for container support. Shiori: yes.