Notabase vs SilverBullet
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
SilverBullet
Hackable note-taking for the self-hosted web
| Feature | Notabase | SilverBullet |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 910 | ★ 5,796 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Roam Research, Obsidian | Notion, Obsidian |
Why pick each one
Choose Notabase if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Notabase or SilverBullet better?
SilverBullet is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Notabase if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Notabase and SilverBullet free and open-source?
Yes. Notabase is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SilverBullet under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Notabase and SilverBullet with Docker?
Notabase: check the project docs for container support. SilverBullet: yes.