Beavers Notes vs QOwnNotes
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?
Beavers Notes
Local-first note-taking with file-over-app philosophy
VS
QOwnNotes
Plain-text note taking with Markdown and Nextcloud sync
| Feature | Beavers Notes | QOwnNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,324 | ★ 5,836 |
| First released | 2023 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Evernote, OneNote | Evernote, OneNote |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Beavers Notes or QOwnNotes better?
Neither is universally better. QOwnNotes has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Beavers Notes and QOwnNotes free and open-source?
Yes. Beavers Notes is licensed under MIT and QOwnNotes under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Beavers Notes and QOwnNotes with Docker?
Beavers Notes: check the project docs for container support. QOwnNotes: check the project docs for container support.