Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes vs Shaarli

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted bookmarks & read-it-later options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up? Compare Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes with Compare Shaarli with

BO Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes Note and bookmark application with a Trello-like layout VS

Shaarli Personal, minimalist link-sharing bookmark app

Feature	Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes	Shaarli
Deploy effort	Under-an-hour setup	Under-an-hour setup
Health score	17 · At risk	88 · Excellent
Category	Bookmarks & Read-It-Later	Bookmarks & Read-It-Later
License	AGPL-3.0	GPL-3.0
Language	PHP	PHP
Setup difficulty	Medium	Easy
Min. RAM	256 MB	128 MB
Deployment	docker	docker, bare-metal
GitHub stars	★ 862	★ 3,899
First released	2020	2013
Replaces	Raindrop.io, Pocket	Pocket, Delicious

What are Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes and Shaarli?

Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes

Benotes is a self-hosted note and bookmark application organized into collections. It automatically fetches link previews and supports nested collections and a public sharing mode.

Notes and bookmarks together
Automatic link previews
Nested collections

Shaarli

Shaarli is a personal, minimalist, database-free bookmarking application that can also act as a microblog of links. It targets individuals wanting a lightweight link log. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.

No database, flat-file storage
Public and private links
Tagging and RSS feed
Plugin support

Read the full Shaarli guide →

Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes vs Shaarli: key differences

Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes versus GPL-3.0 for Shaarli. Shaarli is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes. Shaarli is the more established project (first released 2013), while Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes arrived in 2020. Shaarli has the considerably larger community, at 3,899 GitHub stars versus 862.

Why pick each one

Choose Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes if…

Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
First-class Docker support for quick deployment
Written in PHP
Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM

Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes details

Choose Shaarli if…

Extremely lightweight
Easy to back up
Can be public or private

Watch out for

Dated default theme
Single-user only

Shaarli details

Frequently asked questions

Is Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes or Shaarli better?

Shaarli is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes and Shaarli free and open-source?

Yes. Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Shaarli under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes and Shaarli with Docker?

Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes: yes. Shaarli: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes or Shaarli?

Shaarli has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Bookmark dashboard nono Benotes. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.