Linkding vs Hoarder: Bookmark Managers
Traditional Bookmarks vs AI-Powered Hoarding
Linkding is a no-frills bookmark manager. Add a URL, tag it, search it later. It does one thing and does it well — fast, lightweight, and stays out of your way.
Hoarder takes a different approach. It’s designed for people who save everything — links, notes, images, PDFs — and uses AI (via Ollama or OpenAI) to automatically categorize and tag saved content. Think of it as a self-hosted Pinterest meets Pocket with AI organization.
The choice comes down to how you save things: methodically (Linkding) or compulsively (Hoarder).
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Linkding | Hoarder |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use | Bookmark management | Content hoarding (links, notes, images) |
| Auto-tagging | No | Yes (AI-powered via Ollama/OpenAI) |
| Content types | URLs only | URLs, notes, images, PDFs |
| Full-text search | Yes (page content) | Yes (page content + AI descriptions) |
| Browser extension | Yes (Chrome, Firefox) | Yes (Chrome, Firefox) |
| Mobile app | PWA | iOS, Android (Flutter) |
| Read-it-later | Basic (archive page content) | Yes (full-page snapshots) |
| RSS feeds | Yes (per-tag, global) | No |
| API | REST API | REST API |
| Bulk import | Yes (Netscape format, Pocket) | Yes (various formats) |
| Sharing | Public bookmark lists | Shared lists |
| Resource usage | ~30MB RAM | ~150MB RAM (without AI) |
| Database | SQLite | SQLite + ChromaDB (AI) |
| Language | Python (Django) | TypeScript (Next.js) |
Tagging and Organization
Linkding uses manual tagging. You save a bookmark, type tags, and you’re done. Tags are autocompleted from your existing tags. The search is fast and covers bookmark titles, descriptions, URLs, and (optionally) archived page content. Simple, predictable, and you’re always in control of your taxonomy.
Hoarder can auto-tag saved content using AI. Point it at an Ollama instance running a model like Llama 3, and it analyzes saved pages to suggest tags automatically. Save a link about Docker networking? Hoarder tags it docker, networking, containers without you typing anything. The AI also generates summaries of saved content, making search more effective.
The AI tagging is optional — you can use Hoarder without it, but that strips away its primary differentiator. Without AI, Hoarder is a heavier alternative to Linkding with fewer features.
Content Beyond URLs
This is Hoarder’s biggest advantage. Linkding manages bookmarks (URLs). Hoarder manages content:
- Notes — quick text snippets saved alongside bookmarks
- Images — screenshots, diagrams, photos saved directly
- PDFs — documents stored and searchable
If you frequently save screenshots of UI designs, paste quick notes about code snippets, or archive PDFs alongside relevant bookmarks, Hoarder handles all of this in one interface. In Linkding, you’d need a separate tool for non-URL content.
Browser Extension
Both offer browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
Linkding’s extension adds a toolbar button that opens a quick-save popup. Enter tags, add a description, save. It also highlights links on the current page if you’ve already bookmarked them. Clean and fast.
Hoarder’s extension does the same quick-save but adds the ability to save highlighted text as a note and save images directly from web pages. The extension leverages Hoarder’s broader content support.
Resource Usage
| Metric | Linkding | Hoarder (no AI) | Hoarder (with Ollama) |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAM (idle) | ~30MB | ~150MB | ~150MB + Ollama (2-8GB) |
| Disk (1000 bookmarks) | ~50MB | ~200MB | ~200MB + model size |
| Containers | 1 | 2-3 (app + ChromaDB) | 3-4 (+ Ollama) |
| Startup time | <2 seconds | ~5 seconds | ~10-30 seconds (model load) |
Linkding is dramatically lighter. On a Raspberry Pi or small VPS where every megabyte counts, Linkding barely registers as a running service. Hoarder with AI tagging requires significantly more resources — an Ollama instance with even a small model consumes gigabytes of RAM.
Use Cases
Choose Linkding If…
- You want a fast, minimal bookmark manager
- You organize bookmarks manually with tags (and prefer to stay in control)
- You run on limited hardware (Pi, 1GB VPS)
- You want RSS feeds from your bookmark tags
- You only save URLs (not notes, images, or files)
- You value simplicity and low maintenance
Choose Hoarder If…
- You save everything impulsively and want AI to organize it later
- You save mixed content: links, notes, screenshots, PDFs
- You have the resources for AI tagging (Ollama needs RAM)
- You want automatic categorization without manual tagging effort
- You use mobile apps regularly for saving content
- You’re replacing a read-it-later service like Pocket or Instapaper
Final Verdict
Linkding is the better bookmark manager. If your workflow is “save a link, tag it, find it later,” Linkding is faster, lighter, and more reliable. It does exactly what a bookmark manager should do with zero bloat.
Hoarder is the better content hoarder. If you save everything — links, notes, images — and want AI to impose order on the chaos, Hoarder is genuinely useful. The AI tagging works well with a good model, and the multi-content-type support fills a gap that Linkding doesn’t address.
Most self-hosters should start with Linkding. Switch to Hoarder if you find yourself wanting AI organization or saving non-URL content frequently.
FAQ
Does Hoarder’s AI tagging work offline?
Yes, if you use Ollama (local AI inference). The AI runs on your server — no data leaves your network. Using OpenAI’s API instead sends bookmark content to OpenAI’s servers for processing.
Can I import my Linkding bookmarks into Hoarder?
Yes. Export from Linkding in Netscape HTML format (standard bookmark export), then import into Hoarder. Tags transfer. AI will re-tag imported bookmarks if enabled.
Which has better search?
Hoarder’s search is broader (covers AI-generated descriptions and summaries in addition to page content), but Linkding’s search is faster and more predictable. For a curated bookmark collection, Linkding’s search is sufficient. For a large, disorganized hoard, Hoarder’s AI-enhanced search helps surface buried content.
Related
Get self-hosting tips in your inbox
New guides, comparisons, and setup tutorials — delivered weekly. No spam.
Comments