Docmost vs SilverBullet
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Docmost
Open-source collaborative wiki and documentation
VS
SilverBullet
Hackable note-taking for the self-hosted web
| Feature | Docmost | SilverBullet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,773 | ★ 6,142 |
| First released | 2024 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Confluence, Notion | Notion, Obsidian |
What are Docmost and SilverBullet?
Docmost
Docmost is an open-source collaborative documentation and wiki software for teams to create and organize knowledge. It targets organizations seeking a self-hosted Confluence alternative. It is deployed via Docker with PostgreSQL.
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Spaces and nested pages
- Permissions and SSO
- Diagrams and embeds
SilverBullet
SilverBullet is an extensible, Markdown-based note-taking web app that you can run on your own server and access from any browser. It targets users who want a programmable personal knowledge tool. It is deployed via Docker or Deno.
- Markdown-based with live queries
- Extensible via Space Script
- Works offline as a PWA
- Plain file storage
Docmost vs SilverBullet: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Docmost versus MIT for SilverBullet. SilverBullet is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Docmost. SilverBullet is the more established project (first released 2022), while Docmost arrived in 2024. Docmost has the considerably larger community, at 21,773 GitHub stars versus 6,142.
Why pick each one
Choose Docmost if…
- Clean modern interface
- Good team collaboration
- Active development
Watch out for
- Young project
- Requires Postgres
Choose SilverBullet if…
- Highly hackable
- Lightweight
- Files stay portable
Watch out for
- Niche and DIY-oriented
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is Docmost or SilverBullet better?
Neither is universally better. Docmost has the larger community, while SilverBullet is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Docmost and SilverBullet free and open-source?
Yes. Docmost is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SilverBullet under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Docmost and SilverBullet with Docker?
Docmost: yes. SilverBullet: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Docmost or SilverBullet?
SilverBullet has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Docmost. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.