Floccus vs Karakeep
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted bookmarks & read-it-later options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Karakeep
Self-hosted bookmark everything app with AI tagging
| Feature | Floccus | Karakeep |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 98 · Excellent |
| Category | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,488 | ★ 29,223 |
| First released | 2015 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Raindrop.io, Chrome Sync | Pocket, Raindrop.io |
What are Floccus and Karakeep?
Floccus
Floccus is a browser extension that syncs your bookmarks across browsers via Nextcloud, a WebDAV server, a Git repository, or a local file. It keeps bookmarks consistent everywhere.
- Sync via Nextcloud or WebDAV
- Cross-browser support
- Optional client-side encryption
Karakeep
Karakeep, formerly Hoarder, is a self-hosted app for bookmarking links, notes, and images with AI-powered automatic tagging and full-text search. It targets users who want a smart digital scrapbook. It is deployed via Docker.
- Bookmark links, notes and images
- AI-based automatic tagging
- Full-page archiving
- Mobile apps and extensions
Floccus vs Karakeep: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Floccus versus AGPL-3.0 for Karakeep. Floccus is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Karakeep. Floccus is the more established project (first released 2015), while Karakeep arrived in 2024. Karakeep has the considerably larger community, at 29,223 GitHub stars versus 8,488. Karakeep lists first-class Docker deployment; Floccus does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Floccus if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 8.5k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Karakeep if…
- Smart AI tagging
- Archives full pages
- Polished apps
Watch out for
- Heavier than simple tools
- AI features need an API key
Frequently asked questions
Is Floccus or Karakeep better?
Neither is universally better. Karakeep has the larger community, while Floccus is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Floccus and Karakeep free and open-source?
Yes. Floccus is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Karakeep under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Floccus and Karakeep with Docker?
Floccus: check the project docs for container support. Karakeep: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Floccus or Karakeep?
Floccus has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Karakeep. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.