Notable 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.
| Feature | Notable | SilverBullet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 28 · At risk | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 23,496 | ★ 6,142 |
| First released | 2018 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Notion | Notion, Obsidian |
What are Notable and SilverBullet?
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
SilverBullet
SilverBullet is an extensible, Markdown-based note-taking web app that you can run on your own server and access from any browser. It targets users who want a programmable personal knowledge tool. It is deployed via Docker or Deno.
- Markdown-based with live queries
- Extensible via Space Script
- Works offline as a PWA
- Plain file storage
Notable vs SilverBullet: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Notable versus MIT for SilverBullet. SilverBullet is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Notable. Notable is the more established project (first released 2018), while SilverBullet arrived in 2022. Notable has the considerably larger community, at 23,496 GitHub stars versus 6,142. SilverBullet lists first-class Docker deployment; Notable does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Notable if…
- Notes stay as portable files
- Simple and focused
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Desktop only
Choose SilverBullet if…
- Highly hackable
- Lightweight
- Files stay portable
Watch out for
- Niche and DIY-oriented
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is Notable or SilverBullet 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 SilverBullet free and open-source?
Yes. Notable is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SilverBullet under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Notable and SilverBullet with Docker?
Notable: check the project docs for container support. SilverBullet: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Notable or SilverBullet?
SilverBullet has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Notable. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.