Zettlr vs NoteDiscovery
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?
Zettlr
Markdown editor for writers, researchers, and Zettelkasten users
VS
NoteDiscovery
Self-hosted Markdown knowledge base with graph view
| Feature | Zettlr | NoteDiscovery |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,354 | ★ 2,735 |
| First released | 2017 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Notion, Obsidian | Obsidian, Notion |
Why pick each one
Choose NoteDiscovery if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Zettlr or NoteDiscovery better?
Zettlr is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider NoteDiscovery if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Zettlr and NoteDiscovery free and open-source?
Yes. Zettlr is licensed under GPL-3.0 and NoteDiscovery under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Zettlr and NoteDiscovery with Docker?
Zettlr: check the project docs for container support. NoteDiscovery: yes.