Athens Research vs Notabase
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Athens Research | Notabase |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 22 · At risk | 73 · Good |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | EPL-1.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Clojure | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | source, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,298 | ★ 912 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Roam Research, Obsidian | Roam Research, Obsidian |
What are Athens Research and Notabase?
Athens Research
Athens is an open-source knowledge graph and networked note-taking tool inspired by Roam Research, supporting block references and bidirectional links. It can be self-hosted with a multiplayer server for shared knowledge bases.
- Block references
- Bidirectional links
- Multiplayer self-hosting
- Knowledge graph view
Notabase
Notabase is an open-source personal knowledge base that connects notes through links and block references to support networked thinking. It offers a WYSIWYG editor and can be self-hosted on a Supabase backend.
- Linked notes and block references
- WYSIWYG rich-text editor
- Markdown export
- Self-hostable on Supabase
Athens Research vs Notabase: key differences
Athens Research is written in Clojure, while Notabase is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — EPL-1.0 for Athens Research versus AGPL-3.0 for Notabase. Athens Research has the considerably larger community, at 6,298 GitHub stars versus 912. Athens Research lists first-class Docker deployment; Notabase does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Athens Research if…
- Released under the EPL-1.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.3k GitHub stars
- Written in Clojure
Choose Notabase if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Athens Research or Notabase better?
Athens Research is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Notabase if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Athens Research and Notabase free and open-source?
Yes. Athens Research is licensed under EPL-1.0 and Notabase under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Athens Research and Notabase with Docker?
Athens Research: yes. Notabase: check the project docs for container support.