Promnesia vs TagSpaces
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted bookmarks & read-it-later options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Promnesia | TagSpaces |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,900 | ★ 5,290 |
| First released | 2019 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Pocket, Raindrop.io | Evernote, Raindrop.io |
What are Promnesia and TagSpaces?
Promnesia
Promnesia is a browser extension and backend that helps you remember which pages you have visited and how. It connects your browsing history with bookmarks, notes, and other tools.
- Annotates pages you have visited
- Connects history with notes
- Local data ownership
TagSpaces
TagSpaces is an offline, cross-platform application for organizing files and bookmarks using tags rather than folders. It works without a database and can be self-hosted as a web edition for browser-based access.
- Tag-based organization
- Works fully offline
- No database needed
- Browser and desktop editions
Promnesia vs TagSpaces: key differences
Promnesia is written in Python, while TagSpaces is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Promnesia versus AGPL-3.0 for TagSpaces. Promnesia is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for TagSpaces. TagSpaces is the more established project (first released 2014), while Promnesia arrived in 2019. TagSpaces has the considerably larger community, at 5,290 GitHub stars versus 1,900. TagSpaces lists first-class Docker deployment; Promnesia does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Promnesia if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose TagSpaces if…
- Strong privacy
- Cross-platform
Watch out for
- Pro features are paid
- Tagging workflow takes adjustment
Frequently asked questions
Is Promnesia or TagSpaces better?
TagSpaces is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Promnesia if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Promnesia and TagSpaces free and open-source?
Yes. Promnesia is licensed under MIT and TagSpaces under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Promnesia and TagSpaces with Docker?
Promnesia: check the project docs for container support. TagSpaces: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Promnesia or TagSpaces?
Promnesia has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for TagSpaces. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.