Flatnotes vs WizNote
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Flatnotes
Self-hosted, database-less note-taking web app
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WizNote
Cross-platform note-taking app with a self-hosted server
| Feature | Flatnotes | WizNote |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 18 · At risk |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Vue | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,230 | ★ 2,660 |
| First released | 2021 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Simplenote | Evernote, OneNote |
What are Flatnotes and WizNote?
Flatnotes
Flatnotes is a self-hosted web application for taking notes, with a focus on simplicity and storing all notes as flat Markdown files. It has no database and keeps notes easy to back up and access.
- Flat Markdown file storage
- No database required
- Full-text search
- Clean minimal interface
WizNote
WizNote is a cross-platform note-taking app with desktop and mobile clients. The Qt desktop client is open source; the self-hostable sync server is distributed as a closed-source Docker image with a free tier for small teams.
- Cross-platform note clients
- Self-hostable sync server
- Rich note formatting
- Attachment support
Flatnotes vs WizNote: key differences
Flatnotes is written in Vue, while WizNote is built with C. Licensing differs — MIT for Flatnotes versus GPL-3.0 for WizNote. Flatnotes is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for WizNote. WizNote is the more established project (first released 2011), while Flatnotes arrived in 2021.
Why pick each one
Choose Flatnotes if…
- Trivial to back up
- Very lightweight
Watch out for
- Basic feature set
- Single-user oriented
Choose WizNote if…
- Mature multi-platform apps
- Server can be self-hosted
Watch out for
- Documentation strongest in Chinese
- Client and server are separate projects
Frequently asked questions
Is Flatnotes or WizNote better?
Flatnotes is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider WizNote if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Flatnotes and WizNote free and open-source?
Yes. Flatnotes is licensed under MIT and WizNote under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Flatnotes and WizNote with Docker?
Flatnotes: yes. WizNote: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Flatnotes or WizNote?
Flatnotes has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for WizNote. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.