Buku 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?
Buku
Command-line bookmark manager with tags
VS
Shaarli
Personal, minimalist link-sharing bookmark app
| Feature | Buku | Shaarli |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,177 | ★ 3,888 |
| First released | 2015 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Delicious | Pocket, Delicious |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Buku or Shaarli better?
Neither is universally better. Buku has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Buku and Shaarli free and open-source?
Yes. Buku is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Shaarli under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buku and Shaarli with Docker?
Buku: check the project docs for container support. Shaarli: yes.