head to head · open source
Notesnook vs Darkwrite
Notesnook has 14,614 GitHub stars, 1,009 forks, 1,012 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Darkwrite has 315 stars, 14 forks, 8 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Notesnook leads on adoption by 4,539% (14,614 vs 315 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 4%. Darkwrite 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 | ★ 315 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.0K | ⑂ 14 |
| 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 is an open source, end to end encrypted note taking application in the productivity and knowledge management ecosystem. It is presented as a free alternative to Evernote, with clients for the web, desktop, and mobile platforms. The project uses a TypeScript and JavaScript monorepo, React for the interface, React Native for mobile apps, and Electron for the desktop app.
read the full Notesnook overview →
About Darkwrite
Darkwrite is an open source, cross platform desktop note taking application written in TypeScript and built on Electron, made for people who want to write notes without distraction, accounts, or a server holding their data.
read the full Darkwrite overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Notesnook or Darkwrite more popular?
Notesnook has 14,614 GitHub stars and Darkwrite has 315. 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 (14,614 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.