Joplin vs Turtl
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
Turtl
Encrypted note-taking and bookmarking for privacy
| Feature | Joplin | Turtl |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 55,856 | ★ 632 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Evernote, OneNote | Evernote, Google Keep |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Joplin or Turtl better?
Joplin is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Turtl if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Joplin and Turtl free and open-source?
Yes. Joplin is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Turtl under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Joplin and Turtl with Docker?
Joplin: yes. Turtl: check the project docs for container support.