Zettlr vs Tangent Notes
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
Tangent Notes
Local-first Markdown note editor with linked notes
| Feature | Zettlr | Tangent Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,354 | ★ 534 |
| First released | 2017 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Notion, Obsidian | Obsidian, Roam Research |
Why pick each one
Choose Tangent Notes if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Zettlr or Tangent Notes better?
Neither is universally better. Zettlr has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Zettlr and Tangent Notes free and open-source?
Yes. Zettlr is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Tangent Notes under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Zettlr and Tangent Notes with Docker?
Zettlr: check the project docs for container support. Tangent Notes: check the project docs for container support.