head to head · open source
mindforger vs TidGi-Desktop
mindforger has 2,719 GitHub stars, 173 forks, 625 open issues and last shipped yesterday. TidGi-Desktop has 2,003 stars, 116 forks, 15 open issues and last shipped yesterday. mindforger leads on adoption by 36% (2,719 vs 2,003 stars). mindforger is written in C++ under GPL-2.0; TidGi-Desktop is written in TypeScript under MPL-2.0. mindforger has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, TidGi-Desktop 6%. TidGi-Desktop was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 4 topic tags (knowledge-management, linux, macos, notebook), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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
| mindforger | TidGi-Desktop | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 2.7K | ★ 2.0K |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 173 | ⑂ 116 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick mindforger if
- You weight community size — 2.7K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick TidGi-Desktop if
- You want the TidGi-Desktop feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and TidGi-Desktop fits your workflow better
About mindforger
MindForger is a free, open source thinking notebook and Markdown editor for people who keep private remarks — ideas, personal plans, gift tips, how tos, dreams, business vision, finance strategy, auto coaching notes — on their own machine and want to find and connect them again instead of scattering them across the file system, cloud, web, and Post it notes.
read the full mindforger overview →
About TidGi-Desktop
TidGi Desktop is a free, MPL 2.0 licensed, cross platform desktop note taking and knowledge management application built on TiddlyWiki and running as an Electron app, aimed at people who want their notes stored locally as files they own, backed up to Git automatically, and optionally published as a blog.
read the full TidGi-Desktop overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is mindforger or TidGi-Desktop more popular?
mindforger has 2,719 GitHub stars and TidGi-Desktop has 2,003. mindforger has the larger community by that measure.
Are mindforger and TidGi-Desktop free?
Both are open source. mindforger is licensed under GPL-2.0 and TidGi-Desktop under MPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between mindforger and TidGi-Desktop?
mindforger is written in C++ and TidGi-Desktop in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, mindforger or TidGi-Desktop?
Choose mindforger if you want the larger community (2,719 stars) or its GPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose TidGi-Desktop if its feature set, stack or MPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.