Layer 5 · self-hosting reality check
What it actually takes to self-host Joplin
The docs say Not stated by the vendor. On the forum in 2022, Joplin Server 2.7 on a 1 GB Raspberry Pi 3 was killed for running out of memory while syncing about 200 MB of attachments (node reached ~1.3 GB of virtual memory).. In practice you want 1–2 GB for Joplin Server plus PostgreSQL for a household or small group. The desktop and mobile apps run on your own devices.. Here is the honest version — real requirements, real monthly cost, what you will be maintaining, and the one thing that catches people out.
Usually reached from Evernote alternatives, where Joplin is one of the picks.
Wondering whether you need to at all? Is Evernote still free? — what the free tier actually allows, and where the wall is.
| RAM — documented minimum | Not stated by the vendor. On the forum in 2022, Joplin Server 2.7 on a 1 GB Raspberry Pi 3 was killed for running out of memory while syncing about 200 MB of attachments (node reached ~1.3 GB of virtual memory). |
|---|---|
| RAM — what it really needs | 1–2 GB for Joplin Server plus PostgreSQL for a household or small group. The desktop and mobile apps run on your own devices. |
| CPU | 1 vCPU for a few users. Leave out the optional transcription service (the `full` profile): the sample compose file caps it at 4 CPUs and 16 GB. |
| Disk | Your notes plus attachments. By default note contents are stored inside PostgreSQL. Set `STORAGE_DRIVER=Type=Filesystem` on day one if you have large attachments, because moving later needs a fallback driver and a storage import. |
| Monthly cost | $0 for the desktop and mobile apps. Joplin Server costs $6–12/mo on a 1–2 GB VPS, or $0 on a home server. A business must also buy Joplin Server Business at €30–40 per user per year. |
| Setup time | 1 hour with Docker Compose and a reverse proxy you already have |
| How you install it | Use the sample docker-compose.server.yml with `--profile server` (Joplin Server plus PostgreSQL 16). Set APP_BASE_URL, put a TLS reverse proxy in front, then point each app's sync target at the server. |
| Ongoing maintenance | Pull the joplin/server image now and then (3.7.2 on Docker Hub, 7 Sep 2026), back up PostgreSQL, and change the default admin@localhost / admin login on the first day. |
| Where it stops scaling | Joplin sells Server Business in tiers up to 51+ users, so the software goes well past a household. On a DIY box the limit is attachment storage: move note contents to the filesystem or S3 before the database gets big. |
The thing that catches people out
The Joplin apps are AGPL, but Joplin Server is not open source. It ships under the Joplin Server Personal Use License, which allows personal, non-commercial use only. It forbids giving others access if you are engaged in commercial activities, and forbids any use that brings in income. The server's own README tells businesses and organisations to buy Joplin Server Business (€30–40 per user per year, billed annually). If you are an individual, self-host freely. A company should budget for the licence, or skip the server and sync through storage it already runs.
When not to self-host Joplin
You are one person or one household and just want sync. The apps can sync to Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV, S3 or a local folder with no server of your own. Skip it too if you are a business and won't buy the commercial licence.
Every guide here carries this section. A site that only ever tells you to self-host is selling something — the useful answer is sometimes no.
Other Layer 5 self-hosting guides
- Self-hosting LibreOffice2 GB with a large spreadsheet open
- Self-hosting ONLYOFFICE6 GB for the Document Server with a handful of concurrent editors
- Self-hosting Collabora Online4 GB, and roughly 1 GB per 20 concurrent documents
- Self-hosting CryptPad2 GB for a small instance
- Self-hosting Mattermost4 GB for a team of 50 with PostgreSQL on the same box
- Self-hosting Rocket.Chat6 GB with MongoDB on the same machine
Common questions
- How much RAM does Joplin actually need?
- 1–2 GB for Joplin Server plus PostgreSQL for a household or small group. The desktop and mobile apps run on your own devices. in practice. The documented minimum is Not stated by the vendor. On the forum in 2022, Joplin Server 2.7 on a 1 GB Raspberry Pi 3 was killed for running out of memory while syncing about 200 MB of attachments (node reached ~1.3 GB of virtual memory)., which is the figure at which the process starts rather than the figure at which it works under real use. 1 vCPU for a few users. Leave out the optional transcription service (the `full` profile): the sample compose file caps it at 4 CPUs and 16 GB. alongside it.
- What does self-hosting Joplin cost per month?
- $0 for the desktop and mobile apps. Joplin Server costs $6–12/mo on a 1–2 GB VPS, or $0 on a home server. A business must also buy Joplin Server Business at €30–40 per user per year. This is commodity VPS pricing and excludes your time, which is the larger cost for most people — budget for pull the joplin/server image now and then (3.7.2 on Docker Hub, 7 Sep 2026), back up PostgreSQL, and change the default admin@localhost / admin login on the first day.
- How long does it take to set up Joplin?
- 1 hour with Docker Compose and a reverse proxy you already have, via Use the sample docker-compose.server.yml with `--profile server` (Joplin Server plus PostgreSQL 16). Set APP_BASE_URL, put a TLS reverse proxy in front, then point each app's sync target at the server..
- When should I NOT self-host Joplin?
- You are one person or one household and just want sync. The apps can sync to Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV, S3 or a local folder with no server of your own. Skip it too if you are a business and won't buy the commercial licence.
- What is the most common mistake when self-hosting Joplin?
- The Joplin apps are AGPL, but Joplin Server is not open source. It ships under the Joplin Server Personal Use License, which allows personal, non-commercial use only. It forbids giving others access if you are engaged in commercial activities, and forbids any use that brings in income. The server's own README tells businesses and organisations to buy Joplin Server Business (€30–40 per user per year, billed annually). If you are an individual, self-host freely. A company should budget for the licence, or skip the server and sync through storage it already runs.