head to head · open source
QOwnNotes vs thoughtdag
QOwnNotes has 5,962 GitHub stars, 497 forks, 63 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. thoughtdag has 782 stars, 75 forks, 5 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. QOwnNotes leads on adoption by 662% (5,962 vs 782 stars). QOwnNotes is written in C++ under GPL-2.0; thoughtdag is written in TypeScript under MIT. QOwnNotes has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, thoughtdag 10%. QOwnNotes was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (llm, local-first), 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.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| QOwnNotes | thoughtdag | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 6.0K | ★ 782 |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-13 | 2026-11-12 |
| Forks | ⑂ 497 | ⑂ 75 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick QOwnNotes if
- You weight community size — 6.0K 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 thoughtdag if
- You want the thoughtdag feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and thoughtdag fits your workflow better
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 →
About thoughtdag
ThoughtDAG AI conversations that branch on an infinite canvas. Each exchange becomes a node. Wires are the context. Explore a side question, connect useful paths, and choose what the model sees next. Download · Website · Docs · 中文 0.5 update · CLI · Harness · Desktop · How it works · How it differs · Research New in 0.5 · ThoughtDAG × Jev Bring relevant past conversations into the question you are asking now. Find earlier work. The local index searches supported agent sessions and ThoughtDAG canvases. Topic dossiers collect decisions and open questions with links back to their sources. Select what belongs. The…
read the full thoughtdag overview →
More in Productivity & Utilities
Related comparisons
More Note Taking & Knowledge Management projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Note Taking & Knowledge Management field.
Frequently asked questions
Is QOwnNotes or thoughtdag more popular?
QOwnNotes has 5,962 GitHub stars and thoughtdag has 782. QOwnNotes has the larger community by that measure.
Are QOwnNotes and thoughtdag free?
Both are open source. QOwnNotes is licensed under GPL-2.0 and thoughtdag under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between QOwnNotes and thoughtdag?
QOwnNotes is written in C++ and thoughtdag 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, QOwnNotes or thoughtdag?
Choose QOwnNotes if you want the larger community (5,962 stars) or its GPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose thoughtdag if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.