# Shaarli review, pricing and alternatives

Source: https://listme.name/software/shaarli
Website: https://shaarli.readthedocs.io/

Minimal self-hosted link list that stores data in files

Shaarli is a minimalist, self-hosted bookmarking service that its project describes as database-free. It is free software released under the zlib/libpng license and is maintained by a community of contributors.

Shaarli stores links without a database, so the whole collection lives in files on the user's server. The project describes itself as a personal, minimalist and fast bookmarking service. Its copyright notices date from 2011 and name Sébastien Sauvage and the Shaarli Community.

Shaarli suits people who want a minimal self-hosted link list and are comfortable with server setup. Its documentation describes it as free software, and no paid tier is listed. Karakeep and Linkwarden suit people who want full-page archives and AI tagging, while Shaarli keeps the feature set small.

- Free and open source | Web, Self-hosted | open source (zlib/libpng)
- Price: Free software to host yourself under the zlib/libpng license
- Checked: 2026-10-10

## Strengths

- Stores data in plain files without a database
- Free software under zlib/libpng
- Minimal and self-hosted

## Limits

- Needs a web server and setup
- Fewer features than hosted or newer tools

## Rankings

- #6 of 6 in [best Bookmark managers](https://listme.name/best/bookmark-managers), score 76.0: A minimal self-hosted link list that stores data in files without a database, under the zlib/libpng license. It has the smallest feature set here and needs a web server to run.

## Alternatives

- [Raindrop.io](https://listme.name/software/raindrop), score 91.0
- [Karakeep](https://listme.name/software/karakeep), score 90.0
- [Linkwarden](https://listme.name/software/linkwarden), score 87.5
- [Pinboard](https://listme.name/software/pinboard), score 84.0
- [linkding](https://listme.name/software/linkding), score 82.0