head to head · open source
jsdoc vs flatnotes
jsdoc has 15,465 GitHub stars, 1,492 forks, 459 open issues and last shipped yesterday. flatnotes has 3,223 stars, 214 forks, 124 open issues and last shipped 22 days ago. jsdoc leads on adoption by 380% (15,465 vs 3,223 stars). jsdoc is written in JavaScript under Apache-2.0; flatnotes is written in Vue under MIT. jsdoc has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, flatnotes 7%. jsdoc was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| jsdoc | flatnotes | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 15K | ★ 3.2K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | JavaScript | Vue |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-08-29 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.5K | ⑂ 214 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick jsdoc if
- You weight community size — 15K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick flatnotes if
- You want the flatnotes feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Vue
- You evaluated both and flatnotes fits your workflow better
About jsdoc
JSDoc is an API documentation generator for JavaScript that reads annotations in source comments and produces a browsable documentation site, aimed at JavaScript developers and library maintainers who need reference documentation to stay in sync with code.
read the full jsdoc overview →
About flatnotes
flatnotes is a self hosted, database less note taking web app that keeps every note as a Markdown file in a flat folder, built for individuals and small teams who want a browser based editor without handing ownership of their notes to a hosted service.
read the full flatnotes overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is jsdoc or flatnotes more popular?
jsdoc has 15,465 GitHub stars and flatnotes has 3,223. jsdoc has the larger community by that measure.
Are jsdoc and flatnotes free?
Both are open source. jsdoc is licensed under Apache-2.0 and flatnotes under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between jsdoc and flatnotes?
jsdoc is written in JavaScript and flatnotes in Vue. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, jsdoc or flatnotes?
Choose jsdoc if you want the larger community (15,465 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose flatnotes if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.