CherryTree vs Notable
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | CherryTree | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 28 · At risk |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,951 | ★ 23,496 |
| First released | 2009 | 2018 |
| Replaces | OneNote, Evernote | Evernote, Notion |
What are CherryTree and Notable?
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
Notable
Notable is a note-taking application that stores notes as plain Markdown files on disk. It offers a clean editor, tags, and full-text search while keeping all data in portable files.
- Plain Markdown file storage
- Tag-based organization
- Full-text search
- Clean editor
CherryTree vs Notable: key differences
CherryTree is written in C++, while Notable is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for CherryTree versus AGPL-3.0 for Notable. CherryTree is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Notable. CherryTree is the more established project (first released 2009), while Notable arrived in 2018. Notable has the considerably larger community, at 23,496 GitHub stars versus 3,951.
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
Choose Notable if…
- Notes stay as portable files
- Simple and focused
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Desktop only
Frequently asked questions
Is CherryTree or Notable better?
Neither is universally better. Notable has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are CherryTree and Notable free and open-source?
Yes. CherryTree is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Notable under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CherryTree and Notable with Docker?
CherryTree: check the project docs for container support. Notable: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, CherryTree or Notable?
CherryTree has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Notable. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.