Karakeep vs Promnesia
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
VS
Promnesia
Browser extension that turns your history into a memory aid
| Feature | Karakeep | Promnesia |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 98 · Excellent | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 29,250 | ★ 1,900 |
| First released | 2024 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Pocket, Raindrop.io | Pocket, Raindrop.io |
What are Karakeep and Promnesia?
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
Promnesia
Promnesia is a browser extension and backend that helps you remember which pages you have visited and how. It connects your browsing history with bookmarks, notes, and other tools.
- Annotates pages you have visited
- Connects history with notes
- Local data ownership
Karakeep vs Promnesia: key differences
Karakeep is written in TypeScript, while Promnesia is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Karakeep versus MIT for Promnesia. Promnesia is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Karakeep. Promnesia is the more established project (first released 2019), while Karakeep arrived in 2024. Karakeep has the considerably larger community, at 29,250 GitHub stars versus 1,900. Karakeep lists first-class Docker deployment; Promnesia does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Karakeep if…
- Smart AI tagging
- Archives full pages
- Polished apps
Watch out for
- Heavier than simple tools
- AI features need an API key
Choose Promnesia if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Karakeep or Promnesia better?
Karakeep is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Promnesia if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Karakeep and Promnesia free and open-source?
Yes. Karakeep is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Promnesia under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Karakeep and Promnesia with Docker?
Karakeep: yes. Promnesia: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Karakeep or Promnesia?
Promnesia has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Karakeep. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.