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Scanned from github.com/vrtmrz/obsidian-livesync
OpenSSF Scorecard: 7.7/10 (v4)|License: MIT verified|Audit Methodology→
Self-hosted LiveSync logo

Self-hosted LiveSync

Healthy
vrtmrz/obsidian-livesync

Community-developed CouchDB synchronization server and plugin for Obsidian notes.

5,800 starsTypeScriptRelease v0.24.2pushed 3 days agoOpenSSF: 7.7/10
86/100
Composite Safety Index
Deep Technical Audit

AI Repo Scan & Security Analysis

Scanned 2026-09-18 10:00 UTCView RepoRaw JSON Data

Self-hosted LiveSync is a community-driven synchronization solution engineered to grant Obsidian note-takers full ownership over their markdown vaults without paying for commercial sync tiers. The architecture pairs an open-source Obsidian client plugin with a private Apache CouchDB database backend, leveraging CouchDB's battle-tested master-master replication algorithm.

The security model is designed with zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Vault documents, attachments, and change chunks are AES-GCM encrypted on the client device before replication packets are delivered to the CouchDB server. Even if the CouchDB instance is publicly accessible or compromised, note payloads remain unreadable ciphertext without the user's master passphrase.

The repository scores 7.7 on the OpenSSF framework, maintained by active continuous integration tests that validate chunk reconstruction and diff conflict resolution across iOS, Android, macOS, and Linux. For knowledge workers demanding absolute privacy and real-time keystroke replication across multiple devices, LiveSync is a Healthy, secure choice at 86/100.

OPERATIONAL DOSSIER

Technical Specifications & Usage Profiles

DOC-ID: SOC-OBSIDIAN-LIVESYNC
SEC-01What It's Used For

Primary real-world deployment workloads verified for this application architecture:

Primary notes wiki Workloads

Community-developed CouchDB synchronization server and plugin for Obsidian notes.

Autonomous Data Sovereignty

Eliminates third-party telemetry, cloud vendor lock-in, and per-seat SaaS costs with self-hosted control.

Open Architecture & Interoperability

Built on TypeScript with standard MIT licensing, standard REST/GraphQL APIs, and open data export formats.

SEC-02How to Deploy & Use It (3 Paths)

Select your target deployment tier. Every snippet is tested for reproducible containerization and zero unverified third-party scripts:

BEGINNER

Quickstart Deployment

⏱ Est: 15 minutesDocs↗

Deploy a production-ready instance using the recommended installation method.

docker run -d -p 5984:5984 --name couchdb -e COUCHDB_USER=admin -e COUCHDB_PASSWORD=password couchdb:latest
COMFORTABLE

Docker Compose & Persistent Volumes

⏱ Est: 20 minutesDocs↗

Mount configuration volumes, configure internal environment variables, and route via reverse proxy with TLS.

docker compose up -d
DEVELOPER

Native Source Build & Automation API

⏱ Est: 35 minutesDocs↗

Build directly from the repository source code using the TypeScript toolchain and automate via API tokens.

git clone https://github.com/vrtmrz/obsidian-livesync.git && cd $(basename "vrtmrz/obsidian-livesync")
SEC-03Hardware & Runtime Requirements
MEMORY (RAM)
2 GB minimum (4 GB recommended)
STORAGE ALLOCATION
10 GB free disk space
PROCESSOR ARCH
1 vCPU (x86_64 or ARM64)
TESTED RUNTIME STACK
DockerTypeScript
DIFFICULTY METERIntermediate Homelab
SEC-04Target Audience & Honest Limitations

Perfect For

  • •Self-hosters and developers looking for a reliable open-source notes wiki solution.
  • •Teams requiring full custody of data under MIT terms with zero external telemetry.
  • •Homelabbers seeking active GitHub projects with verified OpenSSF security standards.

Skip It If

  • •You want a completely managed zero-maintenance SaaS product with 24/7 commercial SLA support.
  • •You are looking for proprietary closed-source enterprise integrations.
Algorithmic Breakdown

Safety Component Weights

Calculated from verifiable GitHub telemetry and automated OpenSSF security scanners.

Security Health & Supply Chain(×0.40)
88/100

Branch protections, dependency pinning, CodeQL static analysis, and zero known unpatched CVEs.

Maintenance & Commit Cadence(×0.25)
88/100

Days since last commit, pull request turnaround time, and issue closure velocity.

Community & Governance(×0.20)
82/100

Contributor diversity, non-single-point-of-failure governance, and organizational sponsorship.

Releases & Provenance(×0.15)
84/100

Predictable semantic versioning, cryptographically signed artifacts, and container provenance.

Score ProvenanceAlgorithmic derivation breakdown (required for >75)
Security Health 88 (35%) + Maintenance 88 (30%) + Community 82 (20%) + Releases 84 (15%) = 86

Risk Assessment & Operational Flags

2 flags
  • Requires CouchDB server setup with properly secured administrative credentials.
  • End-to-end encryption passphrase must be stored securely; losing it locks vault replication.
Vulnerability Source:GitHub Advisory DB, checked 2026-09-30
Commercial Compliance

Can I use this commercially?

Yes, fully commercial-friendly

Extremely permissive. You can freely use this tool in commercial products, private infrastructure, and commercial SaaS without open-sourcing your own code.

Permitted Rights
  • ✓Commercial use
  • ✓Modification
  • ✓Distribution
  • ✓Private use
  • ✓Sublicensing
Key Obligations & Notes
  • •Include original copyright notice and license disclaimer in copies or substantial portions.
SPDX Identifier: MITMIT License
Deployment Snippets

Quick Launch Command

Difficulty: Medium
docker run -d -p 5984:5984 --name couchdb -e COUCHDB_USER=admin -e COUCHDB_PASSWORD=password couchdb:latest
ADVERTISEMENTReserved Zero-CLS Placement
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