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Open source / Notion

Open-source alternatives to Notion

AppFlowy and AFFiNE are open source: free to download and run on your own server. Notion costs from $10 a month, with a free plan.

AppFlowy

Open source (AGPL-3.0) · Open-source AI workspace, an alternative to Notion

AppFlowy is a workspace for notes, docs, databases and projects with AI built in, designed so you keep control of your data. It has desktop and mobile apps and can be self-hosted.

  • Docs, notes and wikis
  • Databases with board, grid and calendar views
  • AI assistant
  • Desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux
  • Self-hosting guide

Free to download and run on your own server under the AGPL-3.0 licence; you pay only for your hosting.

See AppFlowyAppFlowy vs NotionSource code (opens in a new tab)

AFFiNE

Open core (MIT) · Docs, whiteboard and databases in one open-source workspace

AFFiNE merges documents, an endless whiteboard and databases in one local-first workspace, as an open-source alternative to Notion and Miro.

  • Docs and whiteboard in one canvas
  • Multi-view databases
  • Local-first, privacy-focused
  • AI features
  • Self-hosted or cloud

The core is open source under the MIT licence and free to run on your own server; some enterprise features need a paid licence.

See AFFiNEAFFiNE vs NotionSource code (opens in a new tab)

Before you switch

  • Free to use, not free to run. The licence costs nothing, but self-hosting needs a server (often $5 to $40 a month) and someone to install updates and keep backups.
  • Open core means the main product is open source but some features, usually for larger teams, need a paid licence.
  • Hosted versions exist for many of these, run by the makers. They cost money but save the upkeep, and you can still move to your own server later.
  • Licences differ. MIT and Apache allow almost anything. GPL and AGPL require you to share changes you make to the code; for normal business use, that rarely matters.

More open-source alternatives