With our focus on Building your own homelab, we are going to start focussing on actually saving money. Building a homelab can be time consuming and in some cases, fairly expensive, so we need to start thinking about saving money to even out the cost of our “hobby”. One such service would be to self-host our note taking app, so that we can start saving money there. We have two prominent options in that department. The first is Trilium Next, a continuation of the discontinued Trilium Notes, which we have looked at previously. Today we look at another option: Joplin.
What Is Joplin?
Joplin is an open-source note-taking and to-do application that supports synchronization across multiple devices. It allows users to create notes in Markdown or rich text, organize them into notebooks, and tag them for easy retrieval. Joplin is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, ensuring accessibility across platforms.
Key features include:
- End-to-End Encryption (E2EE): Ensures that your notes are secure and private.
- Web Clipper: Save web pages and screenshots directly into Joplin.
- Customizability: Support for plugins, themes, and scripting via the Extension API.
- Synchronization: Sync notes using services like Dropbox, OneDrive, or Joplin Cloud.
- Self Hosting: Because Joplin is open source, we can host it ourselves in our homelab, saving us the cost of subscription
Joplin might not be the end-all solution for all users, but it is a solid contender for one of the best note-taking apps and most users will find the functionality more than sufficient and amazing.
Example of the Joblin interface on web and mobile. Image credit: joplinapp.org
Cost Savings By Self-hosting Joplin
Many popular note-taking applications offer cloud-based services with subscription fees, which is what we want to avoid.
- Joplin Cloud: Offers plans starting at €2.99 per month (approx. $3.50) for 2GB storage, along with features like note publishing and collaboration. 2GB Should be more than sufficient for most users, but attachments and files can very quickly add up.
- Evernote: Premium plans start at $7.99/month, providing additional features and increased storage.
- Notion: Personal Pro plan at $4/month, offering unlimited file uploads and version history.
While these services offer convenience, the costs can accumulate over time. For instance, Joplin Cloud’s Pro plan amounts to approximately €57.50 annually (roughly $65), with yearly payment discounts taken into account.
Embracing Self-Hosting with Joplin
Self-hosting Joplin allows you to:
- Maintain Control: Your data resides on your own server, enhancing privacy. You stay in full control of your data. Want your data wiped? Hit that DELETE button.
- Customize: Tailor the application to your specific needs with plugins and configurations.
- Save Money: As stated in the section above, we will be saving a fair bit of money depending on which paid service we are replacing.
Setting up Joplin Server is straightforward, especially with tools like Docker Compose and/or Portainer. This setup enables synchronization across devices without relying on third-party services.
Joplin vs. Trilium Next: A Comparison
| Feature | Joplin | Trilium Next |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | User-friendly interface; suitable for beginners | More complex; geared towards power users |
| Organization | Notebook and tag-based structure | Hierarchical tree structure |
| Customization | Supports plugins and themes | Extensive scripting and automation options |
| Mobile Support | Available on Android and iOS | Limited; primarily desktop and web-based |
| Synchronization | Via Joplin Cloud or self-hosted server | Self-hosted synchronization |
| Best For | Users seeking a straightforward note-taking app | Users building complex knowledge bases |
Conclusion
Both Joplin and Trilium Next offer robust, open-source solutions for note-taking and knowledge management. By choosing to self-host, you gain control over your data, customize your experience, and save money. Whether you prefer Joplin’s user-friendly approach or Trilium Next’s advanced features, self-hosting empowers you to manage your notes on your terms. We will be installing Joplin in a future article as part of our Build your own Homelab series, stay tuned!