Dnote vs Notesnook
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Notesnook
Private, end-to-end encrypted note-taking app
| Feature | Dnote | Notesnook |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,084 | ★ 14,628 |
| First released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Simplenote | Evernote, OneNote, Notion |
What are Dnote and Notesnook?
Dnote
Dnote is an open-source, simple command-line notebook for programmers and terminal users. It captures quick notes without breaking focus and can sync through a self-hostable server.
- Command-line note capture
- Self-hostable sync server
- Browser extension
- Spaced-repetition digests
Notesnook
Notesnook is an open-source, privacy-focused note-taking app with end-to-end encryption on all notes. Its sync server can be self-hosted so users keep complete control of their encrypted data.
- End-to-end encrypted notes
- Self-hostable sync server
- Rich text editor
- Cross-platform apps
Dnote vs Notesnook: key differences
Dnote is written in Go, while Notesnook is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Dnote versus GPL-3.0 for Notesnook. Dnote is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Notesnook. Dnote is the more established project (first released 2017), while Notesnook arrived in 2021. Notesnook has the considerably larger community, at 14,628 GitHub stars versus 3,084.
Why pick each one
Choose Dnote if…
- Stays out of the way for developers
- Quick capture from terminal
Watch out for
- Terminal-first workflow
- Limited rich formatting
Choose Notesnook if…
- Strong privacy by default
- Polished apps on all platforms
Watch out for
- Self-hosting is relatively new
- Some features tied to subscription
Frequently asked questions
Is Dnote or Notesnook better?
Neither is universally better. Notesnook has the larger community, while Dnote is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dnote and Notesnook free and open-source?
Yes. Dnote is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Notesnook under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dnote and Notesnook with Docker?
Dnote: yes. Notesnook: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dnote or Notesnook?
Dnote has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Notesnook. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.