JoplinvsShields
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Joplin | Shields | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 81 in Notes & Editors | #6 of 166 in Developer Tools |
| GitHub stars | 56 921 | 27 331 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +441 | +125 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 | 0 |
| Latest release | v3.7.22 · 28 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | JavaScript |
Which one should you pick?
Joplin scores 83/100 against 80/100 for Shields, so it is the safer default.
Joplin ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Shields.
If you want the quickest setup, Shields is easier to run; Joplin needs more configuration.
Joplin is growing faster right now (+441 stars in 30 days).
Joplin details →Shields details →
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