Dnote vs SilverBullet (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SilverBullet grades higher than Dnote: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
SilverBullet grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SilverBullet
Scriptable Markdown knowledge base, self-hosted or on desktop
Which one is for you
Pick Dnote if
- Fits if you spend your day in a terminal and want to save commands you'll need again
- Works for people who are happy to host their own sync server
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a window to click in, as it is command line only
- Skip it if you need hosted sync: the vendor lists none
- Too light for long documents, links or images, as it is built for short notes
- Watch out: there is no mobile or web app on its site
Pick SilverBullet if
- Fits if you want Markdown notes you can query like a database and script yourself
- Works for people who already self-host and want a personal or team wiki in one container
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a phone app from an app store, as phones only get the browser version as a PWA
- Not for you if you don't want to run a server or write Lua, because phones need a Server and commands are scripts
- Pricey if you use the desktop app at work, since that needs Pro at $50 a user a year
- Tight if you want every part open source, since only the Server is and the Desktop app isn't
- Watch out: the features page marks live sync, the Mention Inbox and the object graph as experimental
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADnoteGood | 2.8GPASilverBulletGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, with no paid plan; the program is a single binary. | AThe Server is free outright and MIT-licensed for any number of users, and Desktop Personal is free too, against a $6 a month middle in this category. Work use of the desktop app needs Pro at $50 a user a year, about $4.17 a month, and hosting on PikaPods starts at $2. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright. Syncing across devices needs a server you run yourself. | AYou could stay free for good with no cap in sight. The Server has no user limit, at home or at work, and Desktop Personal gives you unlimited spaces and sync with any Server. Only work use of the desktop app costs money. |
| Features | CFull-text search, your own editor, one SQLite file, a REST API and self-hosted sync. The listing's gaps: no hosted sync, no phone or web app. | CA Markdown editor that renders as you type, wiki links with Linked Mentions, queries that update as notes change, Space Lua for your own commands, and a Server with accounts, roles and single sign-on. But its own features page marks live sync and the object graph experimental, and there's no phone app. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It runs in a terminal, and sync means running your own server. | DNo rating on record, and you assemble this one. Using it in a browser or on a phone means running the Server as a container or a single binary, or renting one from PikaPods, and its commands and queries are things you write in Lua. |
| Platforms and integrations | CmacOS, Linux and Windows programs only. The REST API needs your own server. | BAny browser through the Server, plus desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux, with Git, Docker and PikaPods on the integration list. There's no app-store mobile app, though: phones open the Server in a browser and install it as a PWA. |
| Best for | command-line notes with self-hosted sync | Markdown notes you can query and script |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Dnote and SilverBullet. How we grade
Price against what you get
Dnote has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SilverBullet starts at $4.17 a month when paid by the year for each person and scores 2.0.
SilverBullet scores higher, and starts $4.17 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other note-taking apps on the chart, none scores higher than Dnote for less, and 42 score higher than SilverBullet for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- SilverBullet also covers Markdown, linked notes and wiki.
At a glance
| Dnote | SilverBullet | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use) |
| Free plan | The vendor says Dnote is free and open source and will always be free. | SilverBullet Server is free and open source for any number of users. Desktop Personal is free for personal use and education, with unlimited spaces and sync with any Server. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Dnote | Zef Hemel |
| Price read from | getdnote.com | silverbullet.md |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Dnote
- Sync between devices requires running your own server; the vendor lists no hosted service.
- It is a command-line tool with no mobile or web app listed on its site.
- Binaries are listed for macOS, Linux, FreeBSD and Windows; FreeBSD is not a platform on this site.
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.
Key features
Dnote
- Full-text search
- Search every saved note from the terminal to find a command or snippet without scrolling shell history.
- Bring your own editor
- Notes can be written in any text editor, in a terminal or as a GUI.
- Single SQLite file
- All data is in one file that can be backed up to any storage, queried with standard tools or migrated.
- Self-hosted sync server
- An optional single-binary server with SQLite syncs data between devices and can be deployed with Docker or run directly.
- REST API
- The server exposes notes over a REST API for integrations or any HTTP client.
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.
Plans
Dnote
Dnote$0
Free and open source (Apache-2.0 per its GitHub page). Sync needs a server you run yourself.
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.
Ways to pay less
Dnote
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Dnote or SilverBullet?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Dnote is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4.17 a month when paid by the year for each person for SilverBullet. Dnote is free, and SilverBullet starts at $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use).
Which has a free plan, Dnote or SilverBullet?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Dnote and SilverBullet have a free plan.
Which platforms do Dnote and SilverBullet run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only SilverBullet lists a web app. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.