head to head · open source
Outline vs QOwnNotes
Outline has 41,158 GitHub stars, 3,652 forks, 78 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. QOwnNotes has 5,942 stars, 498 forks, 63 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Outline leads on adoption by 593% (41,158 vs 5,942 stars). Outline is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; QOwnNotes is written in C++ under GPL-2.0. Outline has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, QOwnNotes 8%. QOwnNotes 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
| Outline | QOwnNotes | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 41K | ★ 5.9K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 498 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Outline if
- You weight community size — 41K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick QOwnNotes if
- You want the QOwnNotes feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and QOwnNotes fits your workflow better
About Outline
A fast, collaborative, knowledge base for your team built using React and Node.js. Try out Outline using our hosted version at www.getoutline.com . This is the source code that runs Outline and all the associated services. If you want to use Outline then you don't need to run this code, A hosted version of the app is offered at getoutline.com. You can also find documentation on using Outline in our guide. If you'd like to run your own copy of Outline or contribute to development then this is the place for you. Installation Please see the documentation for running your own copy of Outline in a production…
read the full Outline overview →
About QOwnNotes
QOwnNotes Installation Changelog Issues Shortcuts Documentation Privacy Policy Screenshots Nextcloud API App ownCloud API App Matrix room Telegram Group IRC Chat Mastodon QOwnNotes Web Companion Firefox extension QOwnNotes Web Companion Chrome extension QOwnNotes Web App QOwnNotes Tor Hidden Service QOwnNotes is the open source notepad with Markdown support and todo list manager for GNU/Linux , macOS and Windows , that works together with Nextcloud Notes and ownCloud Notes . You are able to write down your thoughts with QOwnNotes and edit or search for them later from your mobile device , like with QOwnNotes…
read the full QOwnNotes overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Outline or QOwnNotes more popular?
Outline has 41,158 GitHub stars and QOwnNotes has 5,942. Outline has the larger community by that measure.
Are Outline and QOwnNotes free?
Both are open source. Outline has no licence declared in this registry, and QOwnNotes is licensed under GPL-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Outline and QOwnNotes?
Outline is written in TypeScript and QOwnNotes in C++. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Outline or QOwnNotes?
Choose Outline if you want the larger community (41,158 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose QOwnNotes if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.