Compare
BookStack vs Joplin
BookStack is a self-hosted wiki platform, whereas Joplin provides a desktop app with offline notes and encryption.
BookStackSelf-hosted wiki platform for organizing documentation
JoplinOpen-source note-taking with sync and encryptionWhich to pick
Pick BookStack if you want…
- Self-hosted documentation wiki
- A free, open-source tool
- Integrations with PHP, Laravel or MySQL (on BookStack's list, not Joplin's)
Pick Joplin if you want…
- Encrypted, syncable notes
- Integrations with Windows, macOS or Linux (on Joplin's list, not BookStack's)
Side by side
- What it is
- BookStack:BookStack is a self-hosted, open-source wiki platform for organizing and storing documentation.
- Joplin:Joplin is an open-source note-taking app with sync, encryption and collaboration features.
- Best for
- BookStack:Self-hosted documentation wiki
- Joplin:Encrypted, syncable notes
- Who it’s for
- BookStack:Teams needing an on-premise knowledge base or internal wiki.
- Joplin:Individuals and teams needing secure, cross-device notes.
- Pricing
- BookStack:Free
- Joplin:Freemium
- Plans
- BookStack:—
- Joplin:Basic 2.99€ per month · Pro 5.99€ per month · Pro 100 GB 9.99€ per month · Teams 7.99€ per month
- Open source
- BookStack:Yes, 19,072 GitHub stars
- Joplin:Yes, 56,630 GitHub stars
- Works with
- BookStack:PHP, Laravel, MySQL, OIDC, SAML2, LDAP, diagrams.net, Markdown
- Joplin:Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Dropbox, OneDrive, Joplin Cloud
BookStack features
- Simple WYSIWYG editor. Edit pages with a clean visual interface and optional Markdown with live preview.
- Hierarchical organization. Structure content into Books, Chapters and Pages for easy navigation.
- Full-text search & linking. Search across all content and link directly to any paragraph.
- Built-in diagrams.net. Create and embed diagrams directly in the page editor.
- Role-based permissions & MFA. Control access with roles, permissions, and multi-factor authentication.
- Multi-language UI. Interface available in many languages including EN, FR, DE, ES, IT, JA, NL, PL, RU.
- External auth integrations. Supports OIDC, SAML2, LDAP and social logins for enterprise environments.
- Dark & light themes. Switch between UI themes per user preference.
Joplin features
- Multimedia notes. Add images, videos, PDFs, audio and math expressions to notes.
- Web clipper. Save web pages or screenshots as notes via Chrome/Firefox extensions.
- End-to-End Encryption. All notes are encrypted so only you can read them.
- Cross-platform sync. Sync notes across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS via cloud services.
- Collaboration. Share notebooks, publish notes online and work together in real time.
- Plugins & themes. Extend functionality with plugins, custom themes and scripts.
BookStack vs Joplin FAQ
Is BookStack or Joplin free?+
BookStack is free. Joplin has a free plan and paid plans.
Is BookStack or Joplin open source?+
Yes, both are open source: BookStack (BookStackApp/BookStack on GitHub, MIT license) and Joplin (laurent22/joplin on GitHub).
Do BookStack and Joplin integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: BookStack lists PHP, Laravel, MySQL, OIDC and 4 more; Joplin lists Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and 6 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.