Beavers Notes vs QuillPad
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
QuillPad
Minimal note-taking app with notebooks and tags
| Feature | Beavers Notes | QuillPad |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Kotlin |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,324 | ★ 1,354 |
| First released | 2023 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Evernote, OneNote | Google Keep, OneNote |
Why pick each one
Choose QuillPad if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Kotlin
Frequently asked questions
Is Beavers Notes or QuillPad better?
Neither is universally better. QuillPad has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Beavers Notes and QuillPad free and open-source?
Yes. Beavers Notes is licensed under MIT and QuillPad under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Beavers Notes and QuillPad with Docker?
Beavers Notes: check the project docs for container support. QuillPad: check the project docs for container support.