Linka vs Linkwarden
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted bookmarks & read-it-later options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Linkwarden
Collaborative bookmark manager with page archiving
| Feature | Linka | Linkwarden |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 0 · At risk | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 33 | ★ 19,833 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Raindrop.io | Pocket, Raindrop.io |
What are Linka and Linkwarden?
Linka
Linka is a self-hosted bookmark manager focused on speed and quick capture, with fast tag-based filtering and keyboard search. It offers a lightweight web UI and import support for browser bookmark exports.
- Tag-based filtering
- Fast keyboard search
- Browser bookmark import
- Lightweight UI
Linkwarden
Linkwarden is a collaborative bookmark manager that saves links and automatically archives full webpage snapshots. It targets individuals and teams who want preserved, organized bookmarks. It is deployed via Docker.
- Automatic webpage archiving
- Collections and collaboration
- Full-text search
- Browser extension
Linka vs Linkwarden: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Linka versus AGPL-3.0 for Linkwarden. Linka is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Linkwarden. Linkwarden has the considerably larger community, at 19,833 GitHub stars versus 33.
Why pick each one
Choose Linka if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Watch out for
- Basic feature set
- No mobile app
Choose Linkwarden if…
- Preserves pages permanently
- Good collaboration
- Modern UI
Watch out for
- Requires Postgres
- Archiving uses more storage
Frequently asked questions
Is Linka or Linkwarden better?
Neither is universally better. Linkwarden has the larger community, while Linka is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Linka and Linkwarden free and open-source?
Yes. Linka is licensed under MIT and Linkwarden under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Linka and Linkwarden with Docker?
Linka: yes. Linkwarden: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Linka or Linkwarden?
Linka has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Linkwarden. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.