BookStack vs Zettlr
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
BookStack
Simple self-hosted documentation and wiki platform
VS
Zettlr
Markdown editor for writers, researchers, and Zettelkasten users
| Feature | BookStack | Zettlr |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,974 | ★ 13,354 |
| First released | 2017 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | Notion, Obsidian |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is BookStack or Zettlr better?
Neither is universally better. BookStack has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are BookStack and Zettlr free and open-source?
Yes. BookStack is licensed under MIT and Zettlr under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BookStack and Zettlr with Docker?
BookStack: yes. Zettlr: check the project docs for container support.