Joplin vs Outline Desktop
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?
Joplin
Open-source note-taking and to-do app with sync
VS
Outline Desktop
Markdown wiki and knowledge base for teams
| Feature | Joplin | Outline Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 55,856 | ★ 1,228 |
| First released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Evernote, OneNote | Notion, Obsidian |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Joplin or Outline Desktop 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 Joplin and Outline Desktop free and open-source?
Yes. Joplin is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Outline Desktop under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Joplin and Outline Desktop with Docker?
Joplin: yes. Outline Desktop: yes.