Joplin vs OpenKnowledge

Comparing two open source alternatives to Obsidian. Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.

Joplin

Privacy-focused, open-source note-taking and to-do app with end-to-end encryption and multi-device sync.

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OpenKnowledge

GPL-3.0

AI-native, local-first markdown editor and LLM wiki with built-in integrations for Claude, Codex, and other agents.

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Side-by-side comparison

	Joplin	OpenKnowledge
License	—	GPL-3.0
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	57,079	4,810
Forks	6,405	330
Open Issues	663	57
Last Commit	Nov 8, 2026	Nov 6, 2026
First Released	Jan 16, 2017	Jun 3, 2026
Categories	Note Taking & Knowledge Management Tools	Note Taking & Knowledge Management Tools
Tags	#note taking #markdown #encryption #self hosted	#markdown #notes #ai #second-brain #agents

GitHub stars over time

Joplin57,079

OpenKnowledge

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