SilverBullet

A programmable, self-hosted Markdown notes app in the browser, with wiki links, a built-in database and query language, and Lua scripting.

6.4k stars, 524 forks TypeScript On GitHub since February 2022

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is SilverBullet?

SilverBullet combines a clean live-preview Markdown editor with wiki-style links and a database of everything in your notes, which you can query to build lists, dashboards and indexes. Space Lua, its own Lua dialect, lets you generate content, add commands and change how the app behaves, and plugs add bigger features. It runs on your server and opens in the browser, works offline as a progressive web app, and keeps notes as Markdown files.

Good fit if

  • You like to script and query your notes, the way some people use Emacs.
  • You want a browser-based notes app on your own server that also works offline.

Look elsewhere if

Before you adopt it

SilverBullet is MIT-licensed and free. Its creator, Zef Hemel, writes about 95% of the commits, so the project depends on him.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 30 October 2026. Report a correction

SilverBullet health: is it still maintained?

70 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    559 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 30 October 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    3 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 91% of them.
    5 / 20
  • Releases
    15 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, 2.12.1, on 12 October 2026.
    19 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 18% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 39 hours.
    11 / 20
  • Security practices
    No OpenSSF Scorecard for this repository yet, so this part gets a neutral score.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works

SilverBullet license: is it open source?

SilverBullet uses MIT, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. February 2022First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayMIT.

How to run SilverBullet yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Linux, macOS, Windows, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: silverbullet.md or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to SilverBullet

  • Trilium NotesBuild your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes 80 health · AGPL-3.0 · 38.6k stars
  • QOwnNotesQOwnNotes is a plain-text file notepad and todo-list manager with Markdown support and Nextcloud / ownCloud… 79 health · GPL-2.0 · 5.9k stars
  • SiYuanAn open-source, privacy-first, self-hosted knowledge workspace where humans and AI agents work together… 75 health · AGPL-3.0 · 47k stars
  • LogseqA privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. Download link:… 69 health · AGPL-3.0 · 45.4k stars
  • FoamA personal knowledge management and sharing system for VSCode 68 health · MIT · 17.5k stars

All 34 projects in Notes & knowledge bases

Questions about SilverBullet

Is SilverBullet open source?

Yes. SilverBullet is published under MIT, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is SilverBullet still maintained?

Its health score is 70 of 100 (actively developed). It had 559 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 30 October 2026, and its latest release came out on 12 October 2026.

How do I run SilverBullet?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for Linux, macOS, Windows, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to SilverBullet?

Close alternatives in the Notes & knowledge bases category include Trilium Notes, QOwnNotes, SiYuan.