Linkwarden 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.
Linkwarden
Collaborative bookmark manager with page archiving
VS
Promnesia
Browser extension that turns your history into a memory aid
| Feature | Linkwarden | Promnesia |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 96 · 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 | ★ 19,833 | ★ 1,900 |
| First released | 2022 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Pocket, Raindrop.io | Pocket, Raindrop.io |
What are Linkwarden and Promnesia?
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
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
Linkwarden vs Promnesia: key differences
Linkwarden is written in TypeScript, while Promnesia is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Linkwarden versus MIT for Promnesia. Promnesia is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Linkwarden. Promnesia is the more established project (first released 2019), while Linkwarden arrived in 2022. Linkwarden has the considerably larger community, at 19,833 GitHub stars versus 1,900. Linkwarden lists first-class Docker deployment; Promnesia does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Linkwarden if…
- Preserves pages permanently
- Good collaboration
- Modern UI
Watch out for
- Requires Postgres
- Archiving uses more storage
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 Linkwarden or Promnesia better?
Linkwarden 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 Linkwarden and Promnesia free and open-source?
Yes. Linkwarden is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Promnesia under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Linkwarden and Promnesia with Docker?
Linkwarden: yes. Promnesia: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Linkwarden or Promnesia?
Promnesia 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.