Linkwarden vs Hoarder: Which Bookmark Manager?

Quick Verdict

Linkwarden is better for teams and power users who want full-text search, collections, and collaboration features. Karakeep (formerly Hoarder) is better for individuals who want AI-powered automatic tagging and a simpler “save everything” workflow. Both archive pages and support browser extensions.

Overview

Linkwarden and Karakeep (Hoarder) are the two fastest-growing self-hosted bookmark managers. Both launched relatively recently and are under very active development. Linkwarden focuses on collaborative bookmarking with organized collections, while Karakeep emphasizes AI-powered automatic categorization with a minimal-effort save workflow.

Note: Hoarder was renamed to Karakeep in early 2026. Many guides still reference the old name.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Linkwarden	Karakeep (Hoarder)
Page archival	Yes (screenshots + full HTML)	Yes (screenshots + full HTML)
Full-text search	Meilisearch-powered	Meilisearch-powered
AI tagging	No — manual tags	Yes — automatic AI categorization via OpenAI/Ollama
Collections/folders	Yes — nested collections	Yes — lists
Collaboration	Multi-user with shared collections	Multi-user with shared lists
Browser extension	Chrome, Firefox	Chrome, Firefox
Mobile app	PWA	iOS and Android native apps
RSS feeds	Per-collection RSS export	No
Notes	Attach notes to bookmarks	Save standalone notes alongside links
Image saving	No — links only	Yes — save images directly
API	REST API	REST API
Import/Export	Netscape HTML, browser bookmarks	Netscape HTML
OAuth/SSO	Yes	No
Database	PostgreSQL	SQLite (default) or PostgreSQL
License	AGPL-3.0	AGPL-3.0

Installation Complexity

Linkwarden requires PostgreSQL and optionally Meilisearch (for full-text search). A typical deployment needs 3 containers:

Linkwarden + PostgreSQL + Meilisearch

Karakeep can run with just SQLite (2 containers: app + Chrome for screenshots) or PostgreSQL for larger deployments. Add Meilisearch for full-text search and optionally Ollama for local AI tagging:

Karakeep + Chrome + Meilisearch (optional) + Ollama (optional)

Both are straightforward Docker Compose deployments. Karakeep has a slight edge on minimal setup since it works with SQLite.

Performance and Resource Usage

Metric	Linkwarden	Karakeep (Hoarder)
RAM (app only)	~200-300 MB	~150-250 MB
RAM (with Meilisearch)	+200-500 MB	+200-500 MB
RAM (with Ollama for AI)	N/A	+2-8 GB depending on model
Disk usage	Moderate (archived pages)	Moderate (archived pages + screenshots)
Archival speed	Fast	Fast

Both use similar resources for core functionality. Karakeep’s AI tagging via Ollama is the outlier — running a local LLM for auto-tagging adds significant RAM requirements. You can skip Ollama and use OpenAI’s API instead (cheaper in resources, costs money per request).

Community and Support

Metric	Linkwarden	Karakeep (Hoarder)
GitHub stars	~10K	~12K
First release	2023	2024
Development pace	Active	Very active
Documentation	Good	Good
Community	Growing	Growing fast

Both projects are relatively new and rapidly gaining popularity. Karakeep has slightly more momentum due to the AI tagging angle, which attracts users from the tech/AI enthusiast community.

Use Cases

Choose Linkwarden If…

• You need team collaboration with shared collections
• You want organized, hierarchical collections for bookmarks
• You need OAuth/SSO authentication
• You want per-collection RSS feeds
• You prefer manual, intentional tagging over automated AI classification
• You’re coming from Raindrop.io or Pinboard and want a similar organized workflow

Choose Karakeep (Hoarder) If…

• You want automatic AI-powered tagging (less manual work)
• You save images and notes alongside links
• You want native mobile apps (iOS and Android)
• You prefer a “save everything, organize later” workflow
• You want to run AI locally with Ollama for privacy
• You want the simplest possible setup (SQLite, no PostgreSQL required)

Final Verdict

Both are excellent self-hosted bookmark managers with different philosophies.

Linkwarden is the better tool for users who want structure — organized collections, team collaboration, and manual control over categorization. It’s the Raindrop.io replacement.

Karakeep is the better tool for users who want to save things quickly and let AI handle the organization. It’s the Pocket replacement with an AI twist.

For most individual users, Karakeep’s AI tagging and native mobile apps make it the more modern choice. For teams or users who want precise control over their bookmark organization, Linkwarden is the better option.

If AI tagging isn’t important to you and you just want reliable bookmark archival, both work well — pick based on whether you want collections (Linkwarden) or lists with notes and images (Karakeep).

Related

• How to Self-Host Linkwarden
• How to Self-Host Karakeep (Hoarder)
• How to Self-Host Linkding
• How to Self-Host Wallabag
• Linkding vs Wallabag
• Linkding vs Linkwarden
• Wallabag vs Hoarder
• Self-Hosted Alternatives to Pocket
• Best Self-Hosted Bookmark Managers