Notable vs Reor
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Notable | Reor |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 28 · At risk | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,496 | ★ 8,551 |
| First released | 2018 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Notion | Evernote, Notion |
What are Notable and Reor?
Notable
Notable is a note-taking application that stores notes as plain Markdown files on disk. It offers a clean editor, tags, and full-text search while keeping all data in portable files.
- Plain Markdown file storage
- Tag-based organization
- Full-text search
- Clean editor
Reor
Reor is an open-source, private, local-first AI note-taking application. It automatically links related notes, runs AI models locally, and stores everything as plain Markdown files on your machine.
- Local AI models
- Automatic note linking
- Plain Markdown storage
- Semantic search
Notable vs Reor: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Reor's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Notable is actively maintained. Notable is written in TypeScript, while Reor is built with JavaScript. Notable is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Reor. Notable is the more established project (first released 2018), while Reor arrived in 2024. Notable has the considerably larger community, at 23,496 GitHub stars versus 8,551.
Why pick each one
Choose Notable if…
- Notes stay as portable files
- Simple and focused
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Desktop only
Choose Reor if…
- AI features without sending data away
- Notes stay as portable files
Watch out for
- AI features need more RAM
- Younger project
Frequently asked questions
Is Notable or Reor better?
Neither is universally better. Notable has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Notable and Reor free and open-source?
Yes. Notable is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Reor under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Notable and Reor with Docker?
Notable: check the project docs for container support. Reor: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Notable or Reor?
Notable has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Reor. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.