Open Source Notion Alternatives
Build your workspace without limits. Open source Notion alternatives for notes, wikis, databases, and team collaboration on your infrastructure.
Notion has become a mainstay for individuals and teams looking to organize their thoughts, projects, and knowledge in a flexible environment. It allows users to create databases, kanban boards, wikis, and documents all within a single platform. However, some users find themselves looking for Notion alternatives because of vendor lock-in and the lack of control over their data. The closed source nature can be a deterrent for those prioritizing privacy and customization.
Key features driving users to search for alternatives include its robust database functionality, the interconnectedness of pages, and its powerful AI integration (Notion AI). While these features are appealing, they come with a subscription cost and data residing on Notion’s servers. Users may also desire more granular control over access permissions or advanced collaboration features.
Common scenarios where users need a solution like Notion include project management, knowledge base creation, note-taking for students/researchers, and team collaboration. However, the complexities of Notion can be overwhelming for simple use cases. Many prefer open source solutions offering similar functionality without the cost and limitations of a proprietary platform.
Open Source Alternatives
AppFlowy
Productivity · Project Management · Collaboration
The open-source AI workspace that puts your data, your rules — with local LLMs, CRDT collaboration, and full self-hosting built in.
AppFlowy
AGPL 3.0AFFiNE
Productivity · Project Management · Note Taking
Write, draw, and plan in one infinite canvas — the open-source alternative to Notion and Miro that keeps your data yours.
AFFiNE
OtherOutline
Knowledge Management · Collaboration
A fast, real-time collaborative knowledge base for growing teams built on React, Node.js, and ProseMirror.
Outline
OtherWiki.js
Knowledge Management · Collaboration
A modern, self-hosted wiki platform built on Node.js with a rich plugin ecosystem for authentication, search, storage, and rendering that adapts to any team's infrastructure.
Wiki.js
AGPL 3.0Huly Platform
Project Management · Team Chat · Collaboration
Open-source all-in-one workspace that replaces Linear, Jira, Slack, and Notion for product and engineering teams.
Huly Platform
EPL-2.0Docmost
Productivity · Note Taking · Collaboration
Self-hosted collaborative wiki and knowledge base with real-time editing, diagrams, AI assistance, and enterprise access controls — a modern alternative to Confluence and Notion.
Docmost
AGPL 3.0Tolaria
Note Taking
A free, open-source, local-first desktop app for managing markdown knowledge bases on macOS, Windows, and Linux — for second brains, company docs, or AI assistant memory and procedures.
Tolaria
AGPL 3.0NoteGen
Note Taking · Knowledge Management · AI Assistants
Capture anything first, then let AI transform your scattered records into polished, structured Markdown notes with RAG-powered knowledge retrieval.
NoteGen
GPL 3.0anytype-ts
Knowledge Management · Note Taking · Collaboration
A local-first, end-to-end encrypted knowledge OS that lets you build notes, tasks, wikis, and entire apps — with your data stored offline and synced peer-to-peer.
anytype-ts
OtherKan
Project Management
An open-source, self-hostable Kanban board built as a modern Trello alternative with team workspaces, board permissions, and Trello import.
Kan
AGPL 3.0NoteDiscovery
Note Taking · Knowledge Management · Productivity
A self-hosted markdown knowledge base with MCP-powered AI integration, graph views, LaTeX math, and built-in drawing — your notes stay on your server, forever.
NoteDiscovery
MITOwlistic
Note Taking · Productivity
Self-hosted, open-source real-time note-taking and task management with WYSIWYG editing, live sync, and role-based access control.
Owlistic
GPL 3.0Kuku
Note Taking
A local-first, open-source Markdown knowledge workspace for macOS — plain files, personal wiki and Second Brain workflows, AI-assisted diffs, and encrypted sync, built as an Obsidian alternative.
