BatNoter vs WizNote
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 | WizNote |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 18 · At risk | 18 · At risk |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,421 | ★ 2,660 |
| First released | 2022 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Standard Notes, Evernote | Evernote, OneNote |
What are BatNoter and WizNote?
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
WizNote
WizNote is a cross-platform note-taking app with desktop and mobile clients. The Qt desktop client is open source; the self-hostable sync server is distributed as a closed-source Docker image with a free tier for small teams.
- Cross-platform note clients
- Self-hostable sync server
- Rich note formatting
- Attachment support
BatNoter vs WizNote: key differences
BatNoter is written in TypeScript, while WizNote is built with C. Licensing differs — MIT for BatNoter versus GPL-3.0 for WizNote. BatNoter is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for WizNote. WizNote is the more established project (first released 2011), while BatNoter arrived in 2022.
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 WizNote if…
- Mature multi-platform apps
- Server can be self-hosted
Watch out for
- Documentation strongest in Chinese
- Client and server are separate projects
Frequently asked questions
Is BatNoter or WizNote better?
Neither is universally better. WizNote has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are BatNoter and WizNote free and open-source?
Yes. BatNoter is licensed under MIT and WizNote under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BatNoter and WizNote with Docker?
BatNoter: yes. WizNote: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, BatNoter or WizNote?
BatNoter has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for WizNote. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.