The Best Open Source Notion AlternativesTop Note-taking Tools & Todo List Managers like Notion

The best open source alternative to Notion is AppFlowy. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Notion and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Notion are Logseq, Standard Notes, Notesnook and Zim.

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Notion alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Self-Hosted + Open Source. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Notion.
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Streamline teamwork with real-time collaboration, drag-and-drop content organization, and visual simplicity across notes, tasks, wikis, and databases.

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Notion alternatives page was last updated Apr 21, 2025
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  1. AppFlowy icon

    AppFlowy

     164 likes
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    AppFlowy is an open source alternative to Notion. You are in charge of your data and customizations.

    67 AppFlowy alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Rust
    • Flathub
    AppFlowy screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Note organization
    2.  Works Offline
    3.  Kanban Board
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Support for MarkDown
    7.  Cloud Sync
    8.  WYSIWYG Support
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Notebook
    11.  Wiki
    12.  Portable

    AppFlowy VS Notion

     
    Comments about AppFlowy as an Alternative to Notion
    Top Positive Comment
    Baptiste THIVEND
    Sep 5, 2023
    1

    Simple to install and efficient. In heavy development, as of Q3 2023 there's still for improvement to reach all Notion's possibility, however at the rythm of a release every month, it should be rapidly do the job for a small team.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    May 10, 2022
    1

    It's still in development. Only functions to take notes at this time.

    Most Recent Comment
    aerxi lyngdoh
    Positive Jan 19, 2025
    1

    It's very fast and notes load instantly on my old and slow android phone. On windows the app isn't an electron monstrosity, it's made with flutter apparently.

    Show more comments
    3 of 6 comments
    Notion Icon
    AppFlowy icon

    • Almost everyone thinks AppFlowy is a great Notion alternative.

    • AppFlowy is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to Notion.

    • AppFlowy is the most popular Open Source alternative to Notion.

    • AppFlowy is Freemium and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
    • AppFlowy is Privacy focused and LightweightNotion is not according to our users
  2. Logseq icon

    Logseq

     283 likes
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    Local-first, privacy-focused notebook supporting Markdown and Emacs Org mode. Offers offline use, encrypted backups, plugin extensibility, LaTeX support, real-time collaboration, and hierarchical organization for personal knowledge management.

    129 Logseq alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Flathub
    Logseq screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Bidirectional links
    2.  Graph view
    3.  Local Storage
    4.  Outliner
    5.  Backlinks
    6.  Knowledge base
    7.  Support for MarkDown
    8.  Knowledge Management
    9.  Works Offline
    10.  Note organization
    11.  Ad-free
    12.  Full-Text Search

    Logseq VS Notion

     
    Comments about Logseq as an Alternative to Notion
    isTrick
    Positive Dec 7, 2023
    5

    Logseq have some good knowledge management tools out of the box, like graph view, flashcards, whiteboards, etc. It's open-source and privacy focused. But for project management isn't the best alternative.

    Notion Icon
    Logseq icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Logseq is a great Notion alternative.

    • Logseq is Free and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
  4. Standard Notes icon

    Standard Notes

     650 likes
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    Standard Notes is a simple and private notes app. It allows you to write and sync your notes across all your devices, iOS, Android, Linux, Windows, MacOS, and web browser.

    86 Standard Notes alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • CH flagSwitzerland

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    Standard Notes screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Clean design
    3.  Security-focused
    4.  Minimalistic
    5.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  End-to-End Encryption
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  Encrypted Notes
    4.  Support for MarkDown
    5.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  Encrypted Backup
    8.  AES Encryption
    9.  Sync on many devices
    10.  Ad-free
    11.  Mobile friendly
    12.  Client side encryption

    Standard Notes VS Notion

     
    Comments about Standard Notes as an Alternative to Notion
    LordMax
    Negative May 7, 2021
    10

    It's a really good note app but not similar to notion

    Mario Mazzoli
    Positive Jul 31, 2022
    3

    Good for notes, fantastic for spreadsheets, but Notion is still superior for table content.

    Notion Icon
    Standard Notes icon

    • Most users think Standard Notes is a great Notion alternative.

    • Standard Notes is Freemium and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Standard Notes is Privacy focused and Security-focusedNotion is not according to our users
  5. Notesnook icon

    Notesnook

     139 likes
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    Notesnook is a simple and cross-platform private notes app that keeps your notes organized and synced on your phone, tablet and computer. Take notes, capture ideas, create to-do lists, keep a journal, write your assignments and manage projects, we have got you covered.

    253 Notesnook alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • PK flagPakistan

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak
    Notesnook screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Distraction-free

    Features

    1.  Encrypted Notes
    2.  Private notes
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  Note organization
    5.  End-to-End Encryption
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Support for MarkDown
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Cloud Sync
    11.  Web Clipper
    12.  Reminders

    Notesnook VS Notion

     
    Comments about Notesnook as an Alternative to Notion
    Paul
    Positive Sep 16, 2023
    1

    Open source and private alternative to Notion. The notes are end to end encrypted, it supports all platform, and the pricing options are not excessive. Great software!

    Notion Icon
    Notesnook icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Notesnook is a great Notion alternative.

    • Notesnook is the most popular SaaS alternative to Notion.

    • Notesnook is Freemium and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Notesnook is Privacy focusedNotion is not according to our users
  6. Zim icon

    Zim

     500 likes
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    Zim brings the concept of a wiki to your desktop. Store information, link pages and edit with WYSISYG markup or directly typing some lightweight markup syntax and see it previewed as-you-type. Creating a new page is easy by either clicking on the "Create new note"...

    297 Zim alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • NL flagNetherlands
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Zim screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Plain text file
    3.  Wiki-like interface
    4.  Hierarchical Structure
    5.  Cross-Platform
    6.  Note organization
    7.  WYSIWYG Support
    8.  Outliner
    9.  Text formatting
    10.  Portable
    11.  Ad-free
    12.  Notebook

    Zim VS Notion

     
    Comments about Zim as an Alternative to Notion
    Wesley Jensen
    Oct 29, 2024
    0

    Good concept, but limited by the lack of a mobile app.

    LordMax
    Positive May 7, 2021
    0

    really good but only for linux, in windows it's too limited

    Notion Icon
    Zim icon

    • Most users think Zim is a great Notion alternative.

    • Zim is Free and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Zim is LightweightNotion is not according to our users
  7. Simplenote icon

    Simplenote

     595 likes
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    Made by the company behind WordPress, Simplenote enables users to take notes, lists, and ideas. These notes are stored on the cloud and are accessible across multiple devices.

    78 Simplenote alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Simplenote screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Clean design
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Minimalistic

    Features

    1.  Cross-device syncing
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  Search by tags
    4.  Simple text editor
    5.  Protected by Password
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Text Based Format
    8.  Full-Text Search
    9.  Portable
    10.  Works Offline
    11.  No Tracking
    12.  Ad-free

    Simplenote VS Notion

     
    Comments about Simplenote as an Alternative to Notion
    Most Recent Comment
    Serely Lalla
    Negative Oct 23, 2019
    14

    Notion is wiki-styled, you can make databases, custom templates, making tables. Simple notes is just a plain notebook software.

    Wesley Jensen
    Negative Nov 6, 2024
    1

    Simplenote is, well, much simpler and note-focused.

    martinzeman
    Negative Oct 1, 2020
    0

    Simplenote is a trivial note taking app with limited Markdown support that cannot compete with Notion's feature set by any stretch of the imagination.

    Notion Icon
    Simplenote icon

    • This alternative is disputed. Simplenote is a legitimate Notion alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.

    • Simplenote is Free and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Simplenote is LightweightNotion is not according to our users
  9. AFFiNE icon

    AFFiNE

     92 likes
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    There can be more than Notion / and Miro. Affine is a next-gen knowledge base that brings planning, sorting and creating all together.

    112 AFFiNE alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • CN flagChina

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    AFFiNE screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Dark Mode
    4.  Goal Tracking
    5.  Real time collaboration
    6.  Kanban Board
    7.  Pomodoro Timer
    8.  Cloud Sync
    9.  Hierarchical Structure
    10.  Works Offline
    11.  Interactive Whiteboard
    12.  Rust

    AFFiNE VS Notion

     
    Comments about AFFiNE as an Alternative to Notion
    sergey27564
    Positive Feb 8, 2024
    0

    The whiteboard functional is great and helps to manage tasks and projects better

    Notion Icon
    AFFiNE icon

    • Almost everyone thinks AFFiNE is a great Notion alternative.

    • AFFiNE is Freemium and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
    • AFFiNE is Lightweight and Privacy focusedNotion is not according to our users
7 of 41 Notion alternatives