Mindwendel vs Turtl
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Mindwendel | Turtl |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 71 · Good | 14 · At risk |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Elixir | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 140 | ★ 633 |
| First released | 2021 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Miro, Google Keep | Evernote, Google Keep |
What are Mindwendel and Turtl?
Mindwendel
Mindwendel is an open-source, self-hosted application for brainstorming and capturing ideas as quick notes on shared boards. Teams use it to collect, group, and vote on ideas in real time.
- Shared brainstorming boards
- Real-time idea capture
- Grouping and voting
- Lightweight to host
Turtl
Turtl is an open-source, encrypted notes and bookmarking application designed to keep personal data private. Notes, files, and bookmarks are end-to-end encrypted, and the sync server can be self-hosted.
- End-to-end encrypted notes
- Bookmark and file storage
- Self-hostable sync server
- Cross-platform apps
Mindwendel vs Turtl: key differences
Mindwendel is written in Elixir, while Turtl is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Mindwendel versus GPL-3.0 for Turtl. Turtl is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Mindwendel. Turtl is the more established project (first released 2014), while Mindwendel arrived in 2021. Turtl has the considerably larger community, at 633 GitHub stars versus 140. Mindwendel lists first-class Docker deployment; Turtl does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Mindwendel if…
- Great for team idea sessions
- Simple and focused
Watch out for
- Not a general note app
- Smaller community
Choose Turtl if…
- Strong privacy guarantees
- Stores notes, files, and bookmarks
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Unusual server stack
Frequently asked questions
Is Mindwendel or Turtl better?
Neither is universally better. Turtl has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mindwendel and Turtl free and open-source?
Yes. Mindwendel is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Turtl under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mindwendel and Turtl with Docker?
Mindwendel: yes. Turtl: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Mindwendel or Turtl?
Turtl has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Mindwendel. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.