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.
Not the right match-up?
QuillPad
Minimal note-taking app with notebooks and tags
VS
Turtl
Encrypted note-taking and bookmarking for privacy
| Feature | QuillPad | Turtl |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 1,354 | ★ 632 |
| First released | 2022 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Google Keep, OneNote | Evernote, Google Keep |
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
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.