Beaver Notes 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 | Beaver Notes | WizNote |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 18 · At risk |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,343 | ★ 2,660 |
| First released | 2023 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Evernote, OneNote | Evernote, OneNote |
What are Beaver Notes and WizNote?
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
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
Beaver Notes vs WizNote: key differences
Beaver Notes is written in JavaScript, while WizNote is built with C. Licensing differs — MIT for Beaver Notes versus GPL-3.0 for WizNote. Beaver Notes is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for WizNote. WizNote is the more established project (first released 2011), while Beaver Notes arrived in 2023. WizNote 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 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 Beaver Notes or WizNote better?
Neither is universally better. WizNote 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 WizNote free and open-source?
Yes. Beaver Notes is licensed under MIT and WizNote under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Beaver Notes and WizNote with Docker?
Beaver Notes: check the project docs for container support. WizNote: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Beaver Notes or WizNote?
Beaver Notes has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for WizNote. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.