Free, open-source alternatives to Notion
Notes, docs and wikis in one workspace. 6 apps you can run yourself instead of Notion, sorted by how well they replace it. Each one is open source, so your data stays with you.
AppFlowyBest match
Build detailed lists of to-do’s for different projects while tracking the status of each one. Open Source Notion Alternative.
docmost Community Edition
Collaborative wiki and documentation software (alternative to Confluence, Notion).
SiYuan
A privacy-first personal knowledge management software, written in typescript and golang.
Docs
Collaborative note taking, wiki and documentation platform that scales.
Outline
Extensible wiki for your team.
TriliumNext Notes
Cross-platform hierarchical note taking application with focus on building large personal knowledge bases (fork of Trilium Notes).
Side by side
| App | Stars | License | Activity | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AppFlowy | 77,272 | AGPL-3.0 | Rust, Dart, Docker | |
| docmost Community Edition | 21,956 | AGPL-3.0 | Docker, Node.js | |
| SiYuan | 46,739 | AGPL-3.0 | Docker, Go | |
| Docs | 16,913 | MIT | Kubernetes | |
| Outline | 40,873 | BUSL-1.1 | Node.js, Docker | |
| TriliumNext Notes | 38,301 | AGPL-3.0 | Node.js, Docker, Kubernetes |
Why replace Notion?
Notion works, but your data lives in someone else's account, the price can change at any time, and features can disappear. An open-source app you run yourself is yours: you choose where it runs, who can see the data, and when to update.
Guides
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Notion?
AppFlowy is the closest open-source replacement for Notion in our list. docmost Community Edition and SiYuan are worth a look too, depending on what you need.
Can I self-host an alternative to Notion?
Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and can run on your own server, usually with Docker, or on a managed host that installs them for you.