BatNoter vs nb Notes
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | BatNoter | nb Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 18 · At risk | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,421 | ★ 8,406 |
| First released | 2022 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Standard Notes, Evernote | Evernote, Notion |
What are BatNoter and nb Notes?
BatNoter
BatNoter is an open-source, Markdown-based note-taking web application that stores all notes in a user's own Git repository. It provides an editor with preview and keeps notes versioned and portable.
- Notes stored in your Git repo
- Markdown editor with preview
- Versioned, portable notes
- Self-hosted backend
nb Notes
nb is a command-line and local web tool for plain-text note-taking, bookmarking, and archiving with Git-backed versioning and syncing. It works entirely in the terminal and supports encryption.
- Plain-text notes and bookmarks
- Git-backed sync
- Optional encryption
- Tagging and search
BatNoter vs nb Notes: key differences
BatNoter is written in TypeScript, while nb Notes is built with Shell. Licensing differs — MIT for BatNoter versus AGPL-3.0 for nb Notes. Nb Notes is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for BatNoter. Nb Notes is the more established project (first released 2019), while BatNoter arrived in 2022. Nb Notes has the considerably larger community, at 8,406 GitHub stars versus 2,421. BatNoter lists first-class Docker deployment; nb Notes does not.
Why pick each one
Choose BatNoter if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose nb Notes if…
- Powerful for terminal users
- Versioned with Git
Watch out for
- Command-line only
- No graphical client
Frequently asked questions
Is BatNoter or nb Notes better?
nb Notes is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider BatNoter if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are BatNoter and nb Notes free and open-source?
Yes. BatNoter is licensed under MIT and nb Notes under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BatNoter and nb Notes with Docker?
BatNoter: yes. nb Notes: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, BatNoter or nb Notes?
nb Notes has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for BatNoter. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.