BookStack vs Joplin: Which to Self-Host?
Quick Verdict
BookStack is the better choice for team documentation and knowledge bases. Joplin Server is better for personal note sync with end-to-end encryption across devices. These tools overlap in name (both manage “notes”) but serve completely different workflows — wiki versus notebook.
Overview
BookStack is a web-based documentation platform that organizes content into shelves, books, chapters, and pages. It’s designed for teams to create, share, and manage structured documentation through a browser.
Joplin Server is the sync backend for the Joplin note-taking app. Joplin itself is a desktop and mobile application — the server exists to synchronize notes between your devices. The server doesn’t have a usable editor; all editing happens in the Joplin client apps.
This is a critical distinction: BookStack is a complete web application. Joplin Server is infrastructure for client apps.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | BookStack | Joplin Server |
|---|---|---|
| Primary interface | Web browser | Desktop + mobile apps |
| Editor | Web WYSIWYG + Markdown | Desktop app (Markdown) |
| Organization | Shelves → Books → Chapters → Pages | Notebooks → Notes (flat + tags) |
| Multi-user | Yes (RBAC) | Yes (per-user sync) |
| E2E encryption | No | Yes (configured in clients) |
| Offline access | No (web-only) | Yes (full offline) |
| Search | Full-text (web) | Full-text (client-side) |
| API | REST API | REST API (sync protocol) |
| Attachments | Inline images, files | Attachments per note |
| Plugins | No | Yes (desktop app plugins) |
| Docker services | 2 (app + MariaDB) | 2 (server + PostgreSQL) |
| RAM usage | 200–400 MB total | 150–300 MB total |
| SSO | LDAP, SAML, OIDC | No (basic auth) |
Installation Complexity
BookStack requires app container + MariaDB. Generate APP_KEY, configure database credentials, set APP_URL. Takes 5–10 minutes for someone familiar with Docker.
Joplin Server requires server container + PostgreSQL. Configure APP_BASE_URL and database URL. Default admin is admin@localhost / admin. Also straightforward, but you need to install Joplin desktop/mobile clients separately and configure them to point at the server.
BookStack gives you a working product after deployment. Joplin Server gives you infrastructure that requires client apps to be useful.
Performance and Resource Usage
Both are lightweight. BookStack (PHP + MariaDB) uses 200–400 MB total. Joplin Server (Node.js + PostgreSQL) uses 150–300 MB total. Neither is resource-intensive.
The real resource consideration with Joplin is storage — every device syncs full copies of all notes and attachments. Heavy users with large attachment libraries need to account for storage on both the server and every syncing client.
Community and Support
BookStack has excellent documentation, an active community forum, and consistent development from lead developer Dan Brown. It’s one of the best-maintained self-hosted projects.
Joplin has a large community (the desktop app has 50k+ GitHub stars). The server component is less documented — most community energy focuses on the client apps. Server-specific issues can be harder to troubleshoot.
Use Cases
Choose BookStack If…
- You need a team wiki or documentation platform
- You want web-based editing without client apps
- You need role-based access control
- You want SSO integration
- Your use case is documentation, not personal notes
Choose Joplin Server If…
- You want to sync personal notes across desktop and mobile
- End-to-end encryption is a requirement
- You need offline access to notes
- You prefer desktop app editing over web editing
- You want Markdown with plugins and customization
Final Verdict
Don’t choose between these — they’re not competitors. BookStack is a wiki. Joplin is a notebook sync system.
If you’re building a team knowledge base, BookStack is the answer. If you want encrypted, synced personal notes across your devices, set up Joplin Server. Many self-hosters run both for their respective purposes.
If you genuinely need one tool for both team docs and personal notes, look at Outline or Wiki.js instead.
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