BookStack 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.
BookStack
Simple self-hosted documentation and wiki platform
VS
Notesnook
Private, end-to-end encrypted note-taking app
| Feature | BookStack | Notesnook |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,050 | ★ 14,628 |
| First released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | Evernote, OneNote, Notion |
What are BookStack and Notesnook?
BookStack
BookStack is a self-hosted platform for organizing and storing documentation in a books, chapters, and pages structure. It targets teams that want an approachable wiki without complexity. It is deployed via Docker or a LAMP stack.
- Books, chapters and pages structure
- WYSIWYG and Markdown editors
- Roles, permissions and SSO
- Full-text search
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
BookStack vs Notesnook: key differences
BookStack is written in PHP, while Notesnook is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for BookStack versus GPL-3.0 for Notesnook. BookStack is the more established project (first released 2017), while Notesnook arrived in 2021.
Why pick each one
Choose BookStack if…
- Very easy to learn
- Clean organized structure
- Good permissions
Watch out for
- Rigid structure for some
- Fewer integrations than rivals
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 BookStack or Notesnook better?
BookStack is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Notesnook if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are BookStack and Notesnook free and open-source?
Yes. BookStack is licensed under MIT and Notesnook under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BookStack and Notesnook with Docker?
BookStack: yes. Notesnook: yes.