head to head · open source
QOwnNotes vs nocturne_memory
QOwnNotes has 5,884 GitHub stars, 500 forks, 63 open issues and last shipped yesterday. nocturne_memory has 1,361 stars, 168 forks, 6 open issues and last shipped 24 days ago. QOwnNotes leads on adoption by 332% (5,884 vs 1,361 stars). QOwnNotes is written in C++ under GPL-2.0; nocturne_memory is written in Python under MIT. QOwnNotes has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, nocturne_memory 12%. QOwnNotes was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (llm), 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
| QOwnNotes | nocturne_memory | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 5.9K | ★ 1.4K |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | C++ | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-08-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 500 | ⑂ 168 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick QOwnNotes if
- You weight community size — 5.9K 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 nocturne_memory if
- You want the nocturne_memory feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and nocturne_memory fits your workflow better
About QOwnNotes
QOwnNotes is a GPL 2.0 licensed, C++ plain text notepad and todo list manager with Markdown support for GNU/Linux, macOS and Windows that stores every note as a Markdown file and pairs with Nextcloud or ownCloud so the same notes stay readable on mobile and in the web service.
read the full QOwnNotes overview →
About nocturne_memory
Nocturne Memory is an MIT licensed, Python based Long Term Memory Server that speaks the Model Context Protocol, giving MCP capable agents persistent, structured, rollbackable memory across sessions, models and tools — built for anyone running Claude Code, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Codex or another MCP client who is tired of an agent that forgets who it is.
read the full nocturne_memory overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is QOwnNotes or nocturne_memory more popular?
QOwnNotes has 5,884 GitHub stars and nocturne_memory has 1,361. QOwnNotes has the larger community by that measure.
Are QOwnNotes and nocturne_memory free?
Both are open source. QOwnNotes is licensed under GPL-2.0 and nocturne_memory under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between QOwnNotes and nocturne_memory?
QOwnNotes is written in C++ and nocturne_memory in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, QOwnNotes or nocturne_memory?
Choose QOwnNotes if you want the larger community (5,884 stars) or its GPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose nocturne_memory if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.