head to head · open source
mkdocs-material vs NoteDiscovery
mkdocs-material has 27,601 GitHub stars, 4,153 forks, 1 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. NoteDiscovery has 2,870 stars, 248 forks, 4 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. mkdocs-material leads on adoption by 862% (27,601 vs 2,870 stars). mkdocs-material is written in Python under MIT; NoteDiscovery is written in JavaScript under MIT. mkdocs-material has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, NoteDiscovery 9%. NoteDiscovery 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
| mkdocs-material | NoteDiscovery | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 28K | ★ 2.9K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | Python | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-30 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.2K | ⑂ 248 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick mkdocs-material if
- You weight community size — 28K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick NoteDiscovery if
- You want the NoteDiscovery feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and NoteDiscovery fits your workflow better
About mkdocs-material
A powerful documentation framework on top of MkDocs Write your documentation in Markdown and create a professional static site for your Open Source or commercial project in minutes – searchable, customizable, more than 60 languages, for all devices. Check out the demo – squidfunk.github.io/mkdocs material . Silver sponsors Bronze sponsors <img src=" height="58"
read the full mkdocs-material overview →
About NoteDiscovery
NoteDiscovery Your Self Hosted Knowledge Base What is NoteDiscovery? NoteDiscovery is a lightweight, self hosted note taking application that puts you in complete control of your knowledge base. Write, organize, and discover your notes with a beautiful, modern interface—all running on your own server. Write · Find · Discover 🎯 Who is it for? Privacy conscious users who want complete control over their data Developers who prefer markdown and local file storage Knowledge workers building a personal wiki or second brain Teams looking for a self hosted alternative to commercial apps Anyone who values simplicity…
read the full NoteDiscovery overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is mkdocs-material or NoteDiscovery more popular?
mkdocs-material has 27,601 GitHub stars and NoteDiscovery has 2,870. mkdocs-material has the larger community by that measure.
Are mkdocs-material and NoteDiscovery free?
Both are open source. mkdocs-material is licensed under MIT and NoteDiscovery under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between mkdocs-material and NoteDiscovery?
mkdocs-material is written in Python and NoteDiscovery in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, mkdocs-material or NoteDiscovery?
Choose mkdocs-material if you want the larger community (27,601 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose NoteDiscovery if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.