Foam vs Self-hosted LiveSync
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?
Foam
Personal knowledge management on top of VS Code
VS
Self-hosted LiveSync
Self-hosted real-time sync backend for Obsidian vaults
| Feature | Foam | Self-hosted LiveSync |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 17,328 | ★ 11,908 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Roam Research, Obsidian | Obsidian Sync |
Why pick each one
Choose Foam if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 17.3k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Self-hosted LiveSync if…
- Free alternative to Obsidian Sync
- Encrypted by default
Frequently asked questions
Is Foam or Self-hosted LiveSync better?
Foam is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Self-hosted LiveSync if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Foam and Self-hosted LiveSync free and open-source?
Yes. Foam is licensed under MIT and Self-hosted LiveSync under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Foam and Self-hosted LiveSync with Docker?
Foam: check the project docs for container support. Self-hosted LiveSync: yes.