Bangle.io vs SilverBullet

Bangle.io

• Editing a folder of Markdown notes from the browser
• Writers who want rich-text editing with Markdown files on disk
• Trying a notes tool with no sign-up and nothing to install

SilverBullet

• People who want Markdown notes they can query and script
• Self-hosters running a personal or team wiki from one container
• Developers keeping documentation in the same git repository as their code

Bangle.io

• It works best in browsers with the File System Access API, such as Chrome or Edge; other browsers are steered toward the installed PWA.
• There are no native desktop or mobile apps. The desktop option is installing the web app as a Progressive Web App.
• No sync or backup is built in. The FAQ leaves backups to your own routine and recommends git for versioned ones.
• The FAQ says optional paid add-on services may be considered in future to fund development.

SilverBullet

• Using the Desktop app at work requires Pro at $50 per user per year; only personal and education use is free.
• Desktop is not open source. The FAQ says only SilverBullet Server is, with the same editor and Space Lua in both.
• There is no app-store mobile app: phones open the Server in a browser and can install it as a PWA.
• The features page marks live sync, the Mention Inbox and the object graph as experimental.

Bangle.io

Works on local Markdown files

Notes are saved as plain Markdown files in a folder you pick on your computer, and the app reads and writes them there directly from the browser.

WYSIWYG editor

A rich-text interface in the style of Notion or Google Docs shows formatting as you write, while the files on disk stay in Markdown.

Folders and backlinks

Notes can be organized in folders, connected to one another with backlinks, or both.

Offline web app

Once loaded, the app keeps working without an internet connection, and installing it as a Progressive Web App gives a separate desktop-style window.

Split screen and tabs

Split-screen views and a multi-tab interface keep several notes open at the same time.

No account, no tracking of notes

There is nothing to sign up for or install. The privacy policy says no personal data is collected, with anonymous usage and diagnostic data going to Sentry and Cloudflare analytics.

SilverBullet

Live Preview Markdown editor

Plain Markdown is rendered as you type, including links, tasks, tables, code and widgets. Outlining, templates, slash commands, a daily journal and an optional Vim mode are included.

Wiki links and Linked Mentions

Double-bracket links connect pages, headings or positions, every page lists where it is mentioned, and a page or section can be embedded inside another.

Live queries

Notes can be queried like a database from inside a page, for example open tasks across projects or every page with a tag, and the results update as notes change.

Space Lua scripting

A Lua dialect built into the notes adds commands, widgets and automations with no build step, and CSS written in a page restyles the interface.

Server for browsers and teams

The Server runs as one container or a single binary and is used from any browser, with accounts and roles, comments, @-mentions, single sign-on and read-only publishing.

Desktop app with sync

Desktop opens any local folder as a space, binds system-wide shortcuts to commands, and syncs both ways with your own or a hosted SilverBullet Server.

Bangle.io

• Bangle.io$0

  The full web app at app.bangle.io, used in the browser or installed as a Progressive Web App. No account is needed.

SilverBullet

• Server$0

  The MIT-licensed server for any number of users, at home or at work, run on your own hardware and used from a browser.

• Desktop Personal$0

  The desktop app for personal use and education, with unlimited spaces and sync with any SilverBullet Server.

• Desktop Pro$50

  per user / year

  Needed for work use. Adds Meta Space, the Edge release channel of nightly builds, and bulk seats that can be assigned to a team.

• Cloud$2

  per month and up, billed by PikaPods

  SilverBullet Server hosted by PikaPods, an independent host, with one-click deployment and starting credit at sign-up.

Bangle.io

No public discounts listed.

SilverBullet

• Education

  Desktop is free for use in education

  SilverBullet Desktop is free for personal use and for use in education. Only work use needs the Pro license at $50 per user per year.