Servas vs Shaarli
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted bookmarks & read-it-later options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Servas
Self-hosted bookmark and note management tool
VS
Shaarli
Personal, minimalist link-sharing bookmark app
| Feature | Servas | Shaarli |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later | Bookmarks & Read-It-Later |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Svelte | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 826 | ★ 3,888 |
| First released | 2022 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Raindrop.io, Pinboard | Pocket, Delicious |
Why pick each one
Choose Servas if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Svelte
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Servas or Shaarli better?
Shaarli is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Servas if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Servas and Shaarli free and open-source?
Yes. Servas is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Shaarli under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Servas and Shaarli with Docker?
Servas: yes. Shaarli: yes.