CherryTree vs nb Notes
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 | nb Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 92 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,951 | ★ 8,410 |
| First released | 2009 | 2019 |
| Replaces | OneNote, Evernote | Evernote, Notion |
What are CherryTree and nb Notes?
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
nb Notes
nb is a command-line and local web tool for plain-text note-taking, bookmarking, and archiving with Git-backed versioning and syncing. It works entirely in the terminal and supports encryption.
- Plain-text notes and bookmarks
- Git-backed sync
- Optional encryption
- Tagging and search
CherryTree vs nb Notes: key differences
CherryTree is written in C++, while nb Notes is built with Shell. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for CherryTree versus AGPL-3.0 for nb Notes. Nb Notes is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for CherryTree. CherryTree is the more established project (first released 2009), while nb Notes arrived in 2019. Nb Notes has the considerably larger community, at 8,410 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 nb Notes if…
- Powerful for terminal users
- Versioned with Git
Watch out for
- Command-line only
- No graphical client
Frequently asked questions
Is CherryTree or nb Notes better?
Neither is universally better. nb Notes has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are CherryTree and nb Notes free and open-source?
Yes. CherryTree is licensed under GPL-3.0 and nb Notes under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CherryTree and nb Notes with Docker?
CherryTree: check the project docs for container support. nb Notes: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, CherryTree or nb Notes?
nb Notes has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for CherryTree. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.