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Why I Switched from Obsidian to SilverBullet: A Self-Hosted Note-Taking Journey

I moved from Obsidian to SilverBullet, an open-source web-based note-taking platform. Here is why I made the switch, what I learned, and a complete installation guide based on my real experience getting it running on an ARM server with Cloudflare Access.

Productivity , Self-Hosting 5 min read
A modern illustration comparing Obsidian and SilverBullet note-taking interfaces
A modern illustration comparing Obsidian and SilverBullet note-taking interfaces

I have been an Obsidian user for a long time. It is powerful, extensible, and has a fantastic graph view. But as my workflow evolved, I started running into limitations that I could not easily fix. This post explains why I switched to SilverBullet, what I gained, and how I got it running on my own server.

Obsidian is great for local note-taking. The graph view, the plugin ecosystem, and the markdown-first approach are genuinely excellent. But I wanted something slightly different:

  • Web-based access: I wanted to take notes from any browser without installing an app. Obsidian Publish exists, but it is a paid add-on, and I prefer owning the infrastructure.
  • Self-hosted: I already run a home lab on an ARM Oracle server. I wanted my notes to live there, not in a proprietary sync service.
  • Simpler authentication: I liked the idea of protecting my instance with a single sign-on layer rather than managing vaults and local files.
  • Hackable: SilverBullet is open-source. It uses Markdown, Lua scripting, and has a PWA mode that works offline. That felt like a good match for my technical style.

SilverBullet is an open-source, self-hosted, web-based personal knowledge management platform. It is built on Markdown, runs in a browser, and stores everything as plain files on disk. You can think of it as a web-based Obsidian alternative with a few different trade-offs:

  • Markdown-native: Everything is Markdown. No proprietary formats.
  • Live Preview: Like Obsidian, it renders Markdown while you type, but shows the raw syntax when you place your cursor inside it.
  • Outlining: It has powerful outline support with fold, promote, and demote commands.
  • Wiki-links: [[Page Name]] syntax works just like Obsidian, with bidirectional linking and backlink tracking.
  • Tags and Queries: You can tag pages and items, then query them dynamically.
  • PWA: It works offline once installed, thanks to a Service Worker.
  • Extensible: You can write custom functionality in Lua and add plugins.

Before you switch, know what you are giving up:

  • No graph view: SilverBullet does not have a visual graph of your notes like Obsidian does.
  • Smaller plugin ecosystem: It is newer, so the library of plugins is smaller.
  • No native mobile app: You access it through a browser or install the PWA.
  • Self-hosted complexity: You need to run it somewhere. This is a feature for me, but it is a hurdle for others.

For me, the trade-offs were worth it. I wanted a web-first, server-based note-taking system that I could access from anywhere, and SilverBullet delivered exactly that.

This guide is based on my real experience getting SilverBullet running on an ARM Oracle server with Docker, Coolify, Traefik, and Cloudflare Access. I went through several iterations today to get the authentication and image attachments working correctly across all browsers.

  • A server (I use an ARM Oracle instance)
  • Docker and Docker Compose
  • Coolify (or another Traefik-based reverse proxy)
  • A domain name (I use sanchezmx.com)
  • Cloudflare DNS and Cloudflare Access (Zero Trust)

services:
  silverbullet:
    image: ghcr.io/silverbulletmd/silverbullet:latest
    container_name: silverbullet
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - SB_HOSTNAME=0.0.0.0
      - SB_PORT=3000
      - SB_REMEMBER_ME_HOURS=720
    volumes:
      - /mnt/myvolume/ducklake/silverbullet-data:/space
    ports:
      - '3001:3000'
    networks:
      - coolify
    labels:
      - 'coolify.managed=true'
      - 'traefik.enable=true'
      - 'traefik.http.routers.silverbullet.rule=Host(`notes.yourdomain.com`)'
      - 'traefik.http.routers.silverbullet.entrypoints=https'
      - 'traefik.http.routers.silverbullet.tls.certresolver=letsencrypt'
      - 'traefik.http.services.silverbullet.loadbalancer.server.port=3000'
    privileged: true


networks:
  coolify:
    external: true

Important notes:

  • Do NOT set SB_USER. I tried this initially and it broke image attachments in Chrome, Brave, and Opera. Firefox handled it fine, but the other browsers failed to render pasted images. SilverBullet handles basic auth internally, but it interferes with file serving.
  • Use an external network (coolify in my case) so Traefik can route to it.
  • Map a persistent volume for your notes. I use an external disk mounted at /mnt/myvolume/ducklake/silverbullet-data.

  1. Create an A record or CNAME pointing notes.yourdomain.com to your server.
  2. Enable the orange cloud (proxy) so Cloudflare handles SSL and caching.
  3. Set SSL/TLS mode to Full (strict).

You need two applications in Cloudflare Access:

  • Type: Self-hosted
  • Name: SilverBullet Bypass
  • Public hostnames:
    • notes.yourdomain.com → Path: service_worker.js
    • notes.yourdomain.com → Path: .client/*
    • notes.yourdomain.com → Path: .fs/*
  • Policy: SB Bypass
    • Action: Bypass
    • Include: Everyone

This is critical. Without bypassing .fs/*, pasted images will not render in Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Brave, Opera). Firefox is more forgiving, but the others require this.

  • Type: Self-hosted
  • Name: SilverBullet
  • Public hostname: notes.yourdomain.com
  • Path: (leave empty)
  • Policy: SB Access

In Cloudflare, create a Cache Rule:

  • When: URL matches https://notes.yourdomain.com/*
  • Action: Bypass cache

This prevents Cloudflare from caching authentication responses and breaking the login flow.

  1. Deploy the container with Coolify or docker compose up -d.
  2. Visit https://notes.yourdomain.com.
  3. You should see the Cloudflare Access login page.
  4. After authentication, SilverBullet loads without any SB_USER prompt.
  5. Test copy-pasting an image into a note. It should render correctly in all browsers.

If you see the error “Could not process configuration from server”, it usually means:

  • The service_worker.js or .client/* paths are not bypassed in Cloudflare Access.
  • Cloudflare is caching the response. Clear the cache or bypass it.

If images pasted into notes do not render in Chrome/Brave/Opera:

  • Check that .fs/* is in the Cloudflare Access Bypass application.
  • Do not use SB_USER in the Docker Compose. It breaks file serving in Chromium-based browsers.

My final setup:

  • Domain: notes.sanchezmx.com
  • Server: ARM Oracle instance
  • Storage: External disk mounted via Docker bind mount
  • Auth: Cloudflare Access with One-time PIN
  • No SB_USER: Cloudflare handles all authentication
  • Working images: Pasting screenshots works in all browsers

It is a clean, secure setup that I can access from anywhere, on any device, without installing anything.

I am not saying SilverBullet is better than Obsidian for everyone. If you love the graph view, the massive plugin ecosystem, or working fully offline with local files, Obsidian is still the better choice. But if you want a self-hosted, web-first, markdown-native note-taking system that you can access from any browser and protect with modern authentication, SilverBullet is a compelling alternative.

I plan to use it for my master’s classes, technical documentation, and quick notes. The fact that it runs on my own server, under my own domain, with my own authentication, makes it feel like a natural extension of my home lab.