BatNoter vs Notesnook
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Notesnook
Private, end-to-end encrypted note-taking app
| Feature | BatNoter | Notesnook |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 18 · At risk | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,421 | ★ 14,626 |
| First released | 2022 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Standard Notes, Evernote | Evernote, OneNote, Notion |
What are BatNoter and Notesnook?
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
Notesnook
Notesnook is an open-source, privacy-focused note-taking app with end-to-end encryption on all notes. Its sync server can be self-hosted so users keep complete control of their encrypted data.
- End-to-end encrypted notes
- Self-hostable sync server
- Rich text editor
- Cross-platform apps
BatNoter vs Notesnook: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for BatNoter versus GPL-3.0 for Notesnook. BatNoter is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Notesnook. Notesnook has the considerably larger community, at 14,626 GitHub stars versus 2,421.
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 Notesnook if…
- Strong privacy by default
- Polished apps on all platforms
Watch out for
- Self-hosting is relatively new
- Some features tied to subscription
Frequently asked questions
Is BatNoter or Notesnook better?
Neither is universally better. Notesnook has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are BatNoter and Notesnook free and open-source?
Yes. BatNoter is licensed under MIT and Notesnook under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BatNoter and Notesnook with Docker?
BatNoter: yes. Notesnook: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, BatNoter or Notesnook?
BatNoter has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Notesnook. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.