mdSilo vs Notabase
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | mdSilo | Notabase |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 63 · Good | 73 · Good |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source, binary | source, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 851 | ★ 912 |
| First released | 2022 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Obsidian, Roam Research | Roam Research, Obsidian |
What are mdSilo and Notabase?
mdSilo
mdSilo is an open-source note-taking and personal knowledge management application that supports backlinks, a graph view, and Markdown editing. It can run on the desktop or be self-hosted as a web app for personal use.
- Bidirectional backlinks
- Graph visualization
- Markdown editor
- Built-in RSS reader
Notabase
Notabase is an open-source personal knowledge base that connects notes through links and block references to support networked thinking. It offers a WYSIWYG editor and can be self-hosted on a Supabase backend.
- Linked notes and block references
- WYSIWYG rich-text editor
- Markdown export
- Self-hostable on Supabase
mdSilo vs Notabase: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. MdSilo is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Notabase.
Why pick each one
Choose mdSilo if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Notabase if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is mdSilo or Notabase better?
Neither is universally better. Notabase has the larger community, while mdSilo is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are mdSilo and Notabase free and open-source?
Yes. mdSilo is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Notabase under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run mdSilo and Notabase with Docker?
mdSilo: check the project docs for container support. Notabase: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, mdSilo or Notabase?
mdSilo has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Notabase. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.