Notesnook Sync Server vs WizNote
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Notesnook Sync Server | WizNote |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 18 · At risk |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C# | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 925 | ★ 2,660 |
| First released | 2023 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Evernote, OneNote | Evernote, OneNote |
What are Notesnook Sync Server and WizNote?
Notesnook Sync Server
The Notesnook sync server is the self-hostable backend for the Notesnook end-to-end encrypted note-taking application. It allows users to keep their encrypted note data fully under their own control.
- Self-hosted sync backend
- End-to-end encryption
- Cross-platform clients
- Open-source server
WizNote
WizNote is a cross-platform note-taking app with desktop and mobile clients. The Qt desktop client is open source; the self-hostable sync server is distributed as a closed-source Docker image with a free tier for small teams.
- Cross-platform note clients
- Self-hostable sync server
- Rich note formatting
- Attachment support
Notesnook Sync Server vs WizNote: key differences
Notesnook Sync Server is written in C#, while WizNote is built with C. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Notesnook Sync Server versus GPL-3.0 for WizNote. WizNote is the more established project (first released 2011), while Notesnook Sync Server arrived in 2023. WizNote has the considerably larger community, at 2,660 GitHub stars versus 925.
Why pick each one
Choose Notesnook Sync Server if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in C#
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose WizNote if…
- Mature multi-platform apps
- Server can be self-hosted
Watch out for
- Documentation strongest in Chinese
- Client and server are separate projects
Frequently asked questions
Is Notesnook Sync Server or WizNote better?
Neither is universally better. WizNote has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Notesnook Sync Server and WizNote free and open-source?
Yes. Notesnook Sync Server is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and WizNote under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Notesnook Sync Server and WizNote with Docker?
Notesnook Sync Server: yes. WizNote: yes.