Laverna 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?
Laverna
Markdown note-taking app with client-side encryption
VS
Self-hosted LiveSync
Self-hosted real-time sync backend for Obsidian vaults
| Feature | Laverna | Self-hosted LiveSync |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,182 | ★ 11,908 |
| First released | 2014 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Simplenote | Obsidian Sync |
Why pick each one
Choose Self-hosted LiveSync if…
- Free alternative to Obsidian Sync
- Encrypted by default
Frequently asked questions
Is Laverna or Self-hosted LiveSync better?
Neither is universally better. Self-hosted LiveSync has the larger community, while Laverna is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Laverna and Self-hosted LiveSync free and open-source?
Yes. Laverna is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Self-hosted LiveSync under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Laverna and Self-hosted LiveSync with Docker?
Laverna: check the project docs for container support. Self-hosted LiveSync: yes.