Self-hosted alternatives to Pinboard
Want minimalist bookmarking without handing your data to Pinboard? These 18 self-hosted apps run on your own server. Cheapest estimated hosting starts at about $3.5/month.
About Pinboard: Paid, minimalist social bookmarking service.
| App | Health | Stars | License | Docker | RAM (est.) | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karakeep | Active | 30.3k | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| LinkWarden | Active | 20.3k | MIT | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Shiori | Active | 11.7k | MIT | ✓ | 512 MB | $3.5/mo |
| linkding | Active | 11.4k | MIT | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Buku | Active | 7.2k | GPL-3.0 | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Shaarli | Active | 3.9k | Zlib | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| LinkAce | Active | 3.4k | GPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Slash | Active | 3.2k | GPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Faved | Active | 1.3k | MIT | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Readeck | Active | 1.2k | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 2 GB | $10/mo |
| Servas | Active | 839 | GPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| NeonLink | Active | 420 | MIT | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| PieFed | Active | 267 | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 4 GB | $20/mo |
| Espial | Maintained | 927 | AGPL-3.0 | – | 512 MB | $3.5/mo |
| Betula | Active | 53 | AGPL-3.0 | – | 512 MB | $3.5/mo |
| SyncMarks | Active | 9 | AGPL-3.0 | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Digibunch | Active | 3 | AGPL-3.0 | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| 42links | Unknown | – | BSD-3-Clause-No-Military-License | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
The options in detail
1. Karakeep
Bookmark-everything app with a touch of AI for the data hoarders out there.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. Latest release v0.34.1 (2026-10-22). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
2. LinkWarden
Bookmark and archive manager to store your useful links.
Active Last commit 2026-10-26. Latest release v2.16.3 (2026-09-09). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
3. Shiori
Simple bookmark manager built with Go.
Active Last commit 2026-10-26. Latest release v1.8.0 (2025-09-26). Needs roughly 512 MB RAM. How to run it →
4. linkding
Minimal bookmark management with a fast and clean UI. Simple installation through Docker and can run on your Raspberry Pi.
Active Last commit 2026-09-13. Latest release v1.47.0 (2026-09-13). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
5. Buku
Powerful bookmark manager and a personal textual mini-web.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. Latest release v5.1 (2025-12-07). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
6. Shaarli
Personal, minimalist, super-fast, no-database bookmarking and link sharing platform.
Active Last commit 2026-10-29. Latest release v0.16.10 (2026-10-21). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
7. LinkAce
Bookmark archive with automatic backups to the Internet Archive, link monitoring, and a full REST API. Installation is done via Docker, or as a simple PHP application.
Active Last commit 2026-11-02. Latest release v2.6.3 (2026-10-21). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
8. Slash
Bookmarks and link sharing platform.
Active Last commit 2026-08-24. Latest release v0.5.3 (2024-02-06). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
9. Faved
Handcrafted bookmark manager combining powerful tagging, instant search, and a clean, distraction-free interface. Built for large collections and advanced workflows, optimized for efficiency and ease-of-use.
Active Last commit 2026-10-26. 10+ releases in the past year. Latest release v2.10.1 (2026-10-26). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
10. Readeck
Save the precious readable content of web pages you like and want to keep forever. See it as a bookmark manager and a read later tool.
Active Last commit 2026-10-23. 17 releases in the past year. Latest release 0.23.5 (2026-10-23). Needs roughly 2 GB RAM. How to run it →
11. Servas
Bookmark management tool. It allows organization with tags, groups, and a list specifically for later access. It supports multiple users with 2FA. Companion browser extensions are available for Firefox and Chrome.
Active Last commit 2026-10-28. 4 releases in the past year. Latest release v1.1.3 (2026-10-28). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
12. NeonLink
Bookmark service with unique design and simple installation with Docker.
Active Last commit 2026-10-11. 3 releases in the past year. Latest release v1.5.0 (2026-10-11). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
13. PieFed
Link aggregator / reddit clone for the fediverse (alternative to Reddit).
Active Last commit 2026-11-05. 50+ releases in the past year. Latest release v1.7.19 (2026-11-04). Needs roughly 4 GB RAM. How to run it →
14. Espial
Web-based bookmarking server that supports multiple user accounts.
Maintained Last commit 2026-07-26. Latest release v0.0.42 (2026-07-26). Needs roughly 512 MB RAM. How to run it →
15. Betula
Single-user federated bookmark manager with Fediverse support and archives.
Active Last commit 2026-10-24. 3 releases in the past year. Latest release v1.8.1 (2026-07-04). Needs roughly 512 MB RAM. How to run it →
16. SyncMarks
Sync and manage your browser bookmarks from Edge, Firefox and Chromium.
Active Last commit 2026-10-22. 5 releases in the past year. Latest release v2.2.5 (2026-10-22). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
17. Digibunch
Create bunches of links to share with your learners or colleagues.
Active Last commit 2026-10-15. 9 releases in the past year. Latest release 0.9.3 (2026-10-13). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
18. 42links
Bookmarking server supporting multiple accounts.
Unknown Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
Why self-host instead of Pinboard?
- Own your data — it lives on a server you control, with backups you decide on.
- Predictable cost — a small VPS often replaces per-seat pricing for a whole team or family.
- No lock-in — open-source licenses let you keep running the software even if a vendor disappears.
The trade-off: you are responsible for updates, backups and security. Pick an app marked Active (a commit in the last 90 days) and with Docker support for the easiest ride.
Browse related categories
Other alternatives guides
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