Notabase 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?
Notabase
Personal knowledge base for networked thinking
VS
Tangent Notes
Local-first Markdown note editor with linked notes
| Feature | Notabase | Tangent Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 910 | ★ 534 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Roam Research, Obsidian | Obsidian, Roam Research |
Why pick each one
Choose Notabase if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
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 Notabase or Tangent Notes better?
Neither is universally better. Notabase has the larger community, while Tangent Notes is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Notabase and Tangent Notes free and open-source?
Yes. Notabase is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tangent Notes under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Notabase and Tangent Notes with Docker?
Notabase: check the project docs for container support. Tangent Notes: check the project docs for container support.