Many Notes vs SilverBullet
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?
Many Notes
Markdown note-taking web app designed for simplicity
VS
SilverBullet
Hackable note-taking for the self-hosted web
| Feature | Many Notes | SilverBullet |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,037 | ★ 5,796 |
| First released | 2024 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Obsidian, Notion | Notion, Obsidian |
Why pick each one
Choose Many Notes if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Frequently asked questions
Is Many Notes or SilverBullet better?
SilverBullet is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Many Notes if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Many Notes and SilverBullet free and open-source?
Yes. Many Notes is licensed under MIT and SilverBullet under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Many Notes and SilverBullet with Docker?
Many Notes: yes. SilverBullet: yes.