SHSelfHostIndex

CherryTree vs Laverna

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 LA Laverna Markdown note-taking app with client-side encryption
FeatureCherryTreeLaverna
CategoryNotes & Knowledge BaseNotes & Knowledge Base
LicenseGPL-3.0MPL-2.0
LanguageC++JavaScript
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentbinary, sourcebare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 3,925★ 9,182
First released20092014
ReplacesOneNote, EvernoteEvernote, Simplenote

Why pick each one

Choose CherryTree if…

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

Choose Laverna if…

  • Strong privacy focus
  • No backend required
Laverna details

Frequently asked questions

Is CherryTree or Laverna better?

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

Are CherryTree and Laverna free and open-source?

Yes. CherryTree is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Laverna under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run CherryTree and Laverna with Docker?

CherryTree: check the project docs for container support. Laverna: check the project docs for container support.

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