org-roam 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 | org-roam | SilverBullet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 68 · Good | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Emacs Lisp | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,030 | ★ 6,142 |
| First released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Roam Research, Obsidian | Notion, Obsidian |
What are org-roam and SilverBullet?
org-roam
Org-roam is a plain-text personal knowledge management system for Emacs that brings Zettelkasten-style note-taking on top of Org-mode files. It maintains a database of links between notes for backlinks and graph views.
- Zettelkasten workflow
- Backlinks panel
- Org-mode based
- Link graph
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
org-roam vs SilverBullet: key differences
Org-roam is written in Emacs Lisp, while SilverBullet is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for org-roam versus MIT for SilverBullet. Org-roam is the more established project (first released 2020), while SilverBullet arrived in 2022. SilverBullet lists first-class Docker deployment; org-roam does not.
Why pick each one
Choose org-roam if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 6k GitHub stars
- Written in Emacs Lisp
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose SilverBullet if…
- Highly hackable
- Lightweight
- Files stay portable
Watch out for
- Niche and DIY-oriented
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is org-roam or SilverBullet better?
SilverBullet is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider org-roam if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are org-roam and SilverBullet free and open-source?
Yes. org-roam is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SilverBullet under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run org-roam and SilverBullet with Docker?
org-roam: check the project docs for container support. SilverBullet: yes.