Joplin
Note taking application with markdown editor and encryption support for mobile and desktop platforms. Runs client-side and syncs through your own Nextcloud instance or similar (alternative to Evernote).
Joplin vs Overleaf
Two self-hosted Note-taking & Editors apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| Joplin | Overleaf | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Note taking application with markdown editor and encryption support for mobile and desktop platforms. Runs client-side and syncs through your own Nextcloud instance or similar (alternative to Evernote). | Web-based collaborative LaTeX editor. |
| GitHub stars | 57,044 | 18,309 |
| Forks | 6.4k | – |
| Open issues (incl. PRs) | 661 | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 2k | 1.9k |
| Last activity | 2026-11-05 | 2026-09-17 |
| Latest release | v3.7.22 (2026-10-28) | v0.1.3 (2015-02-26) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language / platform | Nodejs | Ruby |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $5/mo | $5/mo |
| Categories | Note-taking & Editors | Note-taking & Editors |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Joplin is more popular on GitHub: 57k stars vs 18.3k for Overleaf.
- Joplin has more recent repository activity (2026-11-05 vs 2026-09-17).
- Joplin published a release more recently (v3.7.22 on 2026-10-28; Overleaf's latest is v0.1.3 on 2015-02-26).
- Joplin is licensed under MIT, Overleaf under AGPL-3.0. Joplin's license is permissive; Overleaf's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
- Joplin is written in Nodejs; Overleaf in Ruby.
Summary: Joplin leads on GitHub popularity and recent activity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is Joplin or Overleaf more popular?
Joplin has more GitHub stars (57,044 vs 18,309 for Overleaf, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Joplin or Overleaf?
Commits in the last 12 months: Joplin 2,005, Overleaf 1,949. The last recorded activity was 2026-11-05 for Joplin and 2026-09-17 for Overleaf. Our health labels: Joplin is “Active”, Overleaf is “Active”.
What licenses do Joplin and Overleaf use?
Joplin: MIT. Overleaf: AGPL-3.0. Joplin's license is permissive; Overleaf's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
Can I run Joplin and Overleaf with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Overleaf
Web-based collaborative LaTeX editor.
Browse all self-hosted Note-taking & Editors apps.