QuillPad vs Turtl
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | QuillPad | Turtl |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 14 · At risk |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Kotlin | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,388 | ★ 633 |
| First released | 2022 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Google Keep, OneNote | Evernote, Google Keep |
What are QuillPad and Turtl?
QuillPad
Quillpad is an open-source note-taking application focused on a clean, distraction-free writing experience with rich text formatting. It organizes notes into notebooks and supports tags, search, and offline use.
- Rich text notes
- Notebooks and tags
- Offline-first design
- Lightweight footprint
Turtl
Turtl is an open-source, encrypted notes and bookmarking application designed to keep personal data private. Notes, files, and bookmarks are end-to-end encrypted, and the sync server can be self-hosted.
- End-to-end encrypted notes
- Bookmark and file storage
- Self-hostable sync server
- Cross-platform apps
QuillPad vs Turtl: key differences
QuillPad is written in Kotlin, while Turtl is built with JavaScript. QuillPad is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Turtl. Turtl is the more established project (first released 2014), while QuillPad arrived in 2022. QuillPad has the considerably larger community, at 1,388 GitHub stars versus 633.
Why pick each one
Choose QuillPad if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Kotlin
Choose Turtl if…
- Strong privacy guarantees
- Stores notes, files, and bookmarks
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Unusual server stack
Frequently asked questions
Is QuillPad or Turtl better?
QuillPad is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Turtl if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are QuillPad and Turtl free and open-source?
Yes. QuillPad is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Turtl under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run QuillPad and Turtl with Docker?
QuillPad: check the project docs for container support. Turtl: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, QuillPad or Turtl?
QuillPad has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Turtl. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.