Blinko vs Markor Sync
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Blinko
Self-hosted personal note tool for capturing ideas
VS
Markor Sync
Plain-text and Markdown notes editor for synced folders
| Feature | Blinko | Markor Sync |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,035 | ★ 6,170 |
| First released | 2024 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Google Keep, Memos | Google Keep, Evernote |
What are Blinko and Markor Sync?
Blinko
Blinko is an open-source, self-hosted note-taking application designed for quickly capturing thoughts and ideas as they occur. It stores notes with Markdown support and offers AI-assisted retrieval of past notes.
- Quick idea capture
- Markdown notes
- AI-powered retrieval
- Self-hosted privacy
Markor Sync
Markor is a text and Markdown notes editor that works directly on local files, making it ideal for folders synchronized by tools like Syncthing. It supports to-do lists, Zim wiki, and todo.txt formats.
- Works on plain files
- Markdown and todo.txt
- No accounts needed
- Offline editing
Blinko vs Markor Sync: key differences
Blinko is written in TypeScript, while Markor Sync is built with Java. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Blinko versus Apache-2.0 for Markor Sync. Markor Sync is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Blinko. Markor Sync is the more established project (first released 2017), while Blinko arrived in 2024. Blinko lists first-class Docker deployment; Markor Sync does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Blinko if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 11k GitHub stars
Choose Markor Sync if…
- Pairs with any sync tool
- Privacy respecting
Watch out for
- Android only
- Manual sync setup
Frequently asked questions
Is Blinko or Markor Sync better?
Neither is universally better. Blinko has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Blinko and Markor Sync free and open-source?
Yes. Blinko is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Markor Sync under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Blinko and Markor Sync with Docker?
Blinko: yes. Markor Sync: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Blinko or Markor Sync?
Markor Sync has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Blinko. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.