SHSelfHostIndex

CherryTree vs Flatnotes

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?
CH CherryTree Hierarchical rich-text and code note-taking application VS Flatnotes Self-hosted, database-less note-taking web app
FeatureCherryTreeFlatnotes
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectUnder-an-hour setup
Health score89 · Excellent88 · Excellent
CategoryNotes & Knowledge BaseNotes & Knowledge Base
LicenseGPL-3.0MIT
LanguageC++Vue
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentbinary, sourcedocker, source
GitHub stars★ 3,951★ 3,230
First released20092021
ReplacesOneNote, EvernoteEvernote, Simplenote

What are CherryTree and Flatnotes?

CherryTree

Cherrytree is an open-source hierarchical note-taking application featuring rich text and syntax highlighting. It stores everything in a single XML or SQLite file, making it easy to back up and move.

  • Hierarchical note tree
  • Rich text and code highlighting
  • Single-file XML or SQLite storage
  • Password protection

Read the full CherryTree guide →

Flatnotes

Flatnotes is a self-hosted web application for taking notes, with a focus on simplicity and storing all notes as flat Markdown files. It has no database and keeps notes easy to back up and access.

  • Flat Markdown file storage
  • No database required
  • Full-text search
  • Clean minimal interface

Read the full Flatnotes guide →

CherryTree vs Flatnotes: key differences

CherryTree is written in C++, while Flatnotes is built with Vue. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for CherryTree versus MIT for Flatnotes. CherryTree is the more established project (first released 2009), while Flatnotes arrived in 2021. Flatnotes lists first-class Docker deployment; CherryTree does not.

Why pick each one

Choose CherryTree if…

  • Highly portable single-file notes
  • Good for structured notes

Watch out for

  • Desktop only
  • No built-in sync
CherryTree details

Choose Flatnotes if…

  • Trivial to back up
  • Very lightweight

Watch out for

  • Basic feature set
  • Single-user oriented
Flatnotes details

Frequently asked questions

Is CherryTree or Flatnotes better?

Neither is universally better. CherryTree has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are CherryTree and Flatnotes free and open-source?

Yes. CherryTree is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Flatnotes under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run CherryTree and Flatnotes with Docker?

CherryTree: check the project docs for container support. Flatnotes: yes.

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