Floccus vs Linkwarden
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted bookmarks & read-it-later options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Linkwarden
Collaborative bookmark manager with page archiving
| Feature | Floccus | Linkwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 96 · 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 | ★ 8,491 | ★ 19,833 |
| First released | 2015 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Raindrop.io, Chrome Sync | Pocket, Raindrop.io |
What are Floccus and Linkwarden?
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
Linkwarden
Linkwarden is a collaborative bookmark manager that saves links and automatically archives full webpage snapshots. It targets individuals and teams who want preserved, organized bookmarks. It is deployed via Docker.
- Automatic webpage archiving
- Collections and collaboration
- Full-text search
- Browser extension
Floccus vs Linkwarden: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Floccus versus AGPL-3.0 for Linkwarden. Floccus is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Linkwarden. Floccus is the more established project (first released 2015), while Linkwarden arrived in 2022. Linkwarden has the considerably larger community, at 19,833 GitHub stars versus 8,491. Linkwarden 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 Linkwarden if…
- Preserves pages permanently
- Good collaboration
- Modern UI
Watch out for
- Requires Postgres
- Archiving uses more storage
Frequently asked questions
Is Floccus or Linkwarden better?
Neither is universally better. Linkwarden 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 Linkwarden free and open-source?
Yes. Floccus is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Linkwarden under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Floccus and Linkwarden with Docker?
Floccus: check the project docs for container support. Linkwarden: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Floccus or Linkwarden?
Floccus has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Linkwarden. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.