Laverna vs MindForger
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Laverna | MindForger |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 24 · At risk | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,171 | ★ 2,721 |
| First released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Simplenote | Evernote, OneNote |
What are Laverna and MindForger?
Laverna
Laverna is an open-source, web-based note-taking application with Markdown support and client-side encryption. It can store notes locally or sync via Dropbox or remoteStorage and can be self-hosted as a static app.
- Client-side encryption
- Markdown editor
- Offline support
- Static self-hosted app
MindForger
MindForger is an open-source, desktop personal knowledge base and Markdown editor that doubles as a thinking notebook. It keeps all notes as plain Markdown files in directories you control.
- Markdown notebook
- Associations between notes
- Knowledge mind mapping
- Plain file storage
Laverna vs MindForger: key differences
Laverna is written in JavaScript, while MindForger is built with C++. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Laverna versus GPL-2.0 for MindForger. Laverna is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for MindForger. Laverna is the more established project (first released 2014), while MindForger arrived in 2018. Laverna has the considerably larger community, at 9,171 GitHub stars versus 2,721.
Why pick each one
Choose Laverna if…
- Strong privacy focus
- No backend required
Watch out for
- Development has stalled
- Aging codebase
Choose MindForger if…
- Notes stay as portable files
- Works fully offline
Watch out for
- Desktop only
- No native sync
Frequently asked questions
Is Laverna or MindForger better?
Neither is universally better. Laverna has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Laverna and MindForger free and open-source?
Yes. Laverna is licensed under MPL-2.0 and MindForger under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Laverna and MindForger with Docker?
Laverna: check the project docs for container support. MindForger: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Laverna or MindForger?
Laverna has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for MindForger. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.