# Backstage vs Joplin

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Backstage | Joplin |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 | 83/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #8 of 166 in Developer Tools | #2 of 81 in Notes & Editors |
| GitHub stars | 34 739 | 56 922 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +57 | +442 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 | 18 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.57.0-next.0 · 27 Oct 2026 | v3.7.22 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Joplin scores 83/100 against 79/100 for Backstage, so it is the safer default.

Joplin ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for Backstage.

If you want the quickest setup, Joplin is easier to run; Backstage needs more configuration.

Joplin is growing faster right now (+442 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Backstage](https://selfhost.directory/project/backstage) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/backstage.md)
- [Joplin](https://selfhost.directory/project/joplin) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/joplin.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/backstage-vs-joplin