head to head · open source
Notesnook vs Darkwrite
Notesnook has 14,883 GitHub stars, 1,045 forks, 1,012 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Darkwrite has 320 stars, 15 forks, 8 open issues and last shipped 21 days ago. Notesnook leads on adoption by 4,551% (14,883 vs 320 stars). Notesnook is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0; Darkwrite is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. Notesnook has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, Darkwrite 5%. Notesnook was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (electron, notes-app), 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
| Notesnook | Darkwrite | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 15K | ★ 320 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-10-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.0K | ⑂ 15 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Notesnook if
- You weight community size — 15K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Darkwrite if
- You want the Darkwrite feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Darkwrite fits your workflow better
About Notesnook
Notesnook An end to end encrypted note taking alternative to Evernote. Website About us Roadmap Downloads Twitter Discord Overview Notesnook is a free (as in speech) & open source note taking app focused on user privacy & ease of use. To ensure zero knowledge principles, Notesnook encrypts everything on your device using XChaCha20 Poly1305 & Argon2 . Notesnook is our proof that privacy does not (always) have to come at the cost of convenience. We aim to provide users peace of mind & 100% confidence that their notes are safe and secure. The decision to go fully open source is one of the most crucial steps towards…
read the full Notesnook overview →
About Darkwrite
Follow on Twitter Download Darkwrite Report bugs 📓 Take notes the way you want. ✒️ Darkwrite lets you take notes without getting in your way. Head over to the releases page to get started. ⭐ Star this repository to know when we release new updates. 🖊️ Just start typing. 🖋️ Unleash the power of a rich editor which supports formatting, headings, todo lists, numbered lists, links, images, tables and much more. 🖌️ Make it yours. 🎨 Choose from the selection of included themes or create your own. Say goodbye to boring light and dark themes. ✒️ Pick the fonts you like. You can change the default styles for your…
read the full Darkwrite overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Notesnook or Darkwrite more popular?
Notesnook has 14,883 GitHub stars and Darkwrite has 320. Notesnook has the larger community by that measure.
Are Notesnook and Darkwrite free?
Both are open source. Notesnook is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Darkwrite under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Notesnook and Darkwrite?
Notesnook is written in TypeScript and Darkwrite 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, Notesnook or Darkwrite?
Choose Notesnook if you want the larger community (14,883 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Darkwrite if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.