nb Notes vs Wiki.js
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Wiki.js
Modern and powerful open-source wiki
| Feature | nb Notes | Wiki.js |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 98 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,410 | ★ 28,956 |
| First released | 2019 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Notion | Confluence, Notion |
What are nb Notes and Wiki.js?
nb Notes
nb is a command-line and local web tool for plain-text note-taking, bookmarking, and archiving with Git-backed versioning and syncing. It works entirely in the terminal and supports encryption.
- Plain-text notes and bookmarks
- Git-backed sync
- Optional encryption
- Tagging and search
Wiki.js
Wiki.js is a modern, feature-rich wiki engine with multiple editors, authentication options, and storage backends. It targets teams and communities building a structured knowledge base. It is deployed via Docker or Node.js.
- Markdown, WYSIWYG and code editors
- Many authentication providers
- Git and storage sync
- Powerful permissions
nb Notes vs Wiki.js: key differences
Nb Notes is written in Shell, while Wiki.js is built with Vue. Nb Notes is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Wiki.js. Wiki.js is the more established project (first released 2017), while nb Notes arrived in 2019. Wiki.js has the considerably larger community, at 28,956 GitHub stars versus 8,410. Wiki.js lists first-class Docker deployment; nb Notes does not.
Why pick each one
Choose nb Notes if…
- Powerful for terminal users
- Versioned with Git
Watch out for
- Command-line only
- No graphical client
Choose Wiki.js if…
- Flexible and full-featured
- Many auth options
- Good content management
Watch out for
- Configuration can be involved
- Version 3 rewrite in progress
Frequently asked questions
Is nb Notes or Wiki.js better?
Neither is universally better. Wiki.js has the larger community, while nb Notes is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are nb Notes and Wiki.js free and open-source?
Yes. nb Notes is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Wiki.js under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run nb Notes and Wiki.js with Docker?
nb Notes: check the project docs for container support. Wiki.js: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, nb Notes or Wiki.js?
nb Notes has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Wiki.js. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.