Beavers Notes vs Zim
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — 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
Zim
A desktop wiki and personal knowledge base
| Feature | Beavers Notes | Zim |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Wikis & Documentation |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,324 | ★ 2,194 |
| First released | 2023 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Evernote, OneNote | OneNote, Notion |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Beavers Notes or Zim better?
Neither is universally better. Zim has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Beavers Notes and Zim free and open-source?
Yes. Beavers Notes is licensed under MIT and Zim under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Beavers Notes and Zim with Docker?
Beavers Notes: check the project docs for container support. Zim: check the project docs for container support.