Boost Note vs Reor
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Boost Note | Reor |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Archived | Archived |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,046 | ★ 8,551 |
| First released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Evernote | Evernote, Notion |
What are Boost Note and Reor?
Boost Note
Boost Note is an open-source note-taking app aimed at developers, with Markdown editing, code snippet notes, tagging, and syntax highlighting. Notes are stored as files. The upstream app repository is archived and no longer actively developed.
- Markdown and snippet notes
- Tag-based organization
- File-based storage
- Code syntax highlighting
Reor
Reor is an open-source, private, local-first AI note-taking application. It automatically links related notes, runs AI models locally, and stores everything as plain Markdown files on your machine.
- Local AI models
- Automatic note linking
- Plain Markdown storage
- Semantic search
Boost Note vs Reor: key differences
Note that both projects' repositories are archived — neither is actively developed. Boost Note is written in TypeScript, while Reor is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Boost Note versus AGPL-3.0 for Reor. Boost Note is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Reor. Boost Note is the more established project (first released 2016), while Reor arrived in 2024. Reor has the considerably larger community, at 8,551 GitHub stars versus 4,046.
Why pick each one
Choose Boost Note if…
- Developer-friendly
- Files you control
Watch out for
- Project direction shifted
- No first-party server
Choose Reor if…
- AI features without sending data away
- Notes stay as portable files
Watch out for
- AI features need more RAM
- Younger project
Frequently asked questions
Is Boost Note or Reor better?
Neither is universally better. Reor has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Boost Note and Reor free and open-source?
Yes. Boost Note is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Reor under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Boost Note and Reor with Docker?
Boost Note: check the project docs for container support. Reor: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Boost Note or Reor?
Boost Note has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Reor. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.