Beaver Notes 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 | Beaver Notes | Notesnook |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,343 | ★ 14,628 |
| First released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Evernote, OneNote | Evernote, OneNote, Notion |
What are Beaver Notes and Notesnook?
Beaver Notes
File-over-app note tools include several options; Beaver Notes is an open-source, privacy-focused note-taking application that stores notes locally. It offers a clean editor with tags, folders, and Markdown.
- Local-first note storage
- Markdown editor
- Tags and folders
- Cross-platform apps
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
Beaver Notes vs Notesnook: key differences
Beaver Notes is written in JavaScript, while Notesnook is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Beaver Notes versus GPL-3.0 for Notesnook. Beaver Notes is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Notesnook. Notesnook is the more established project (first released 2021), while Beaver Notes arrived in 2023. Notesnook has the considerably larger community, at 14,628 GitHub stars versus 1,343. Notesnook lists first-class Docker deployment; Beaver Notes does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Beaver Notes if…
- Privacy-focused and local
- Clean modern interface
Watch out for
- Younger project
- Sync requires external tools
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 Beaver Notes or Notesnook better?
Neither is universally better. Notesnook has the larger community, while Beaver Notes is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Beaver Notes and Notesnook free and open-source?
Yes. Beaver Notes is licensed under MIT and Notesnook under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Beaver Notes and Notesnook with Docker?
Beaver Notes: check the project docs for container support. Notesnook: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Beaver Notes or Notesnook?
Beaver Notes has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Notesnook. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.