Flatnotes vs Joplin
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?
Flatnotes
Self-hosted, database-less note-taking web app
VS
Joplin
Open-source note-taking and to-do app with sync
| Feature | Flatnotes | Joplin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Vue | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,172 | ★ 55,856 |
| First released | 2021 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Simplenote | Evernote, OneNote |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Flatnotes or Joplin better?
Neither is universally better. Joplin has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Flatnotes and Joplin free and open-source?
Yes. Flatnotes is licensed under MIT and Joplin under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Flatnotes and Joplin with Docker?
Flatnotes: yes. Joplin: yes.