ArchiveBox vs Promnesia
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted bookmarks & read-it-later options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
ArchiveBox
Self-hosted web archiving from bookmarks and feeds
VS
Promnesia
Browser extension that turns your history into a memory aid
| Feature | ArchiveBox | Promnesia |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 97 · Excellent | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 28,574 | ★ 1,900 |
| First released | 2017 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Pocket, Raindrop.io |
What are ArchiveBox and Promnesia?
ArchiveBox
ArchiveBox is a powerful self-hosted internet archiving tool that saves snapshots of webpages from URLs, bookmarks, and feeds. It targets users who want permanent, offline copies of pages. It is deployed via Docker.
- Saves HTML, PDF, screenshots and more
- Imports from many sources
- Self-hosted permanent archive
- Multiple extraction methods
Promnesia
Promnesia is a browser extension and backend that helps you remember which pages you have visited and how. It connects your browsing history with bookmarks, notes, and other tools.
- Annotates pages you have visited
- Connects history with notes
- Local data ownership
ArchiveBox vs Promnesia: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Promnesia is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for ArchiveBox. ArchiveBox is the more established project (first released 2017), while Promnesia arrived in 2019. ArchiveBox has the considerably larger community, at 28,574 GitHub stars versus 1,900. ArchiveBox lists first-class Docker deployment; Promnesia does not.
Why pick each one
Choose ArchiveBox if…
- Thorough page preservation
- Imports from many sources
- Open formats
Watch out for
- Storage hungry
- Setup can be involved
Choose Promnesia if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ArchiveBox or Promnesia better?
ArchiveBox is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Promnesia if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are ArchiveBox and Promnesia free and open-source?
Yes. ArchiveBox is licensed under MIT and Promnesia under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ArchiveBox and Promnesia with Docker?
ArchiveBox: yes. Promnesia: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, ArchiveBox or Promnesia?
Promnesia has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for ArchiveBox. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.