CherryTree vs MindForger
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?
CherryTree
Hierarchical rich-text and code note-taking application
VS
MindForger
Thinking notebook and Markdown knowledge base
| Feature | CherryTree | MindForger |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,925 | ★ 2,713 |
| First released | 2009 | 2018 |
| Replaces | OneNote, Evernote | Evernote, OneNote |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is CherryTree or MindForger 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 MindForger free and open-source?
Yes. CherryTree is licensed under GPL-3.0 and MindForger under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CherryTree and MindForger with Docker?
CherryTree: check the project docs for container support. MindForger: check the project docs for container support.