Notion AlternativesOnly Open Source apps categorised as Note-taking Tools

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

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Most Notion alternatives are Note-taking Tools, but you can also narrow the list to Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools. Other popular filters are Windows, Mac, Open Source, iPad and Self-Hosted. You can also filter for EU-based alternatives if you prefer software from the European Union.

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Notion alternatives page was last updated Oct 7, 2026

Official Partner
PrivacyNotes
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Workspace with end-to-end encryption, zero-knowledge security, rich notes, private journal, encrypted file storage, password management, cross-platform browser access, open-source cryptography, optional Pro features, and no recurring subscription fees.
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- iPad
- Google Chrome
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- United States
More about PrivacyNotes Visit website
Joplin
951 likes
Open source app for managing notes and to-dos with Markdown support. Syncs seamlessly across devices using services like Dropbox and OneDrive. Offers end-to-end encrypted synchronicity, offline access, rich import/export options, and a Web Clipper for browsers.
248 Joplin alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
AppImageHub
Snapcraft
Google Chrome
Flathub
PortableApps.com
F-Droid
Cloudron
Homebrew
Chocolatey
Termux
Mozilla Firefox
France
EU
+7
Good alternative?Is Joplin a good alternative to Notion?

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3comments
Joplin vs Notion Comments
Negative comment by Johxz · Jul 26, 2020
Oh come on who added Joplin as alternative to Notion? haha :D Joplin is very far behind what Notion offers. Joplin don't have a tree organization structure, don't have nodes, blocks, properties, custom properties, todo, list, tasks, wiki, calendar, node links, templates, icons, etc. Joplin is just a simple note taken app nothing more. Notion allow you all I mention, you can plan track your projects, life and more.
Positive comment by Guest · Apr 13, 2019
If the devs will keep developing this app it could be the biggest competitor for Evernote.
Negative comment by martinzeman · Oct 1, 2020
Notion is not just a note taking app, it's also a database mananger, Joplin does not come close.
3 of 3 comments
Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
Joplin is Privacy focused, Lightweight, Minimalistic and DecentralizedNotion is not according to our users
Logseq
359 likes
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.
279 Logseq alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Task Management
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
iPad
Self-Hosted
Flathub
F-Droid
United States
Good alternative?Is Logseq a good alternative to Notion?

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2comments
Logseq vs Notion Comments
Positive comment by isTrick · Dec 7, 2023
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.
Positive comment by AbdulrhmanFawzy · Feb 26, 2026
Logseq is fully open source, free, privacy-focused and local-first compared to Notion, it's also more customizable
2 of 2 comments
Logseq is Free and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
Logseq is Privacy focused, Decentralized and LightweightNotion is not according to our users
Notesnook
226 likes
Offers open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes with device-based privacy, cross-platform support, private vault, secure sync, offline access, markdown editor, exports to multiple formats, automatic backups, organizational tools, and strong encryption.
410 Notesnook alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Task Management
Origin
Pakistan
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Google Chrome
Flathub
F-Droid
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Flatpak
Self-Hosted
Pakistan
+6
Good alternative?Is Notesnook a good alternative to Notion?

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1comment
Notesnook vs Notion Comments
Positive comment by Paul · Sep 16, 2023
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!
1 of 1 comments
Notesnook is Freemium and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
Notesnook is Privacy focused and LightweightNotion is not according to our users
Standard Notes
710 likes
Secure note-taking app with end-to-end encryption, unlimited syncing across all platforms, offline access, detailed organization through tags, strong passcode and biometric protections, and premium features like encrypted files, themes, web clipper, super note types, and hardware key support.
233 Standard Notes alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
F-Droid
OpenAPK
United States
+1
Good alternative?Is Standard Notes a good alternative to Notion?

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2comments
Standard Notes vs Notion Comments
Negative comment by LordMax · May 7, 2021
It's a really good note app but not similar to notion
Positive comment by Mario Mazzoli · Jul 31, 2022
Good for notes, fantastic for spreadsheets, but Notion is still superior for table content.
2 of 2 comments
Standard Notes is Freemium and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
Standard Notes is Privacy focused, Minimalistic and Security-focusedNotion is not according to our users
AppFlowy
217 likes
Open-source workspace offering complete data control, deep customization via themes, plugins, and templates, native multi-platform support using Flutter and Rust, offline access, privacy features, collaborative tools, and easy extensibility for all users.
167 AppFlowy alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
Singapore
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Self-Hosted
Snapcraft
Rust
Flathub
Singapore
+2
Good alternative?Is AppFlowy a good alternative to Notion?

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9comments
AppFlowy vs Notion Comments
Top Positive Comment by Baptiste THIVEND · Sep 5, 2023
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 by Guest · May 10, 2022
It's still in development. Only functions to take notes at this time.
Positive comment by dataculi · Oct 7, 2026
Has kanban boards, notes, calendars, spreadsheets, etc
3 of 9 comments
AppFlowy is Freemium and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
AppFlowy is Privacy focused and LightweightNotion is not according to our users
Simplenote
613 likes
Cloud-based, open-source note-taking app supporting plain text notes, lists, and ideas with real-time sync, multi-device support, version history, markdown, tagging, collaborative editing, no ads, and free registration required for all cloud features.
205 Simplenote alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
United States
+3
Good alternative?Is Simplenote a good alternative to Notion?

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3comments
Discontinued
Automattic ends Simplenote active development, only basic maintenance continues
Simplenote vs Notion Comments
Negative comment by Serely Lalla · Oct 23, 2019
Notion is wiki-styled, you can make databases, custom templates, making tables. Simple notes is just a plain notebook software.
Negative comment by Wesley Jensen · Nov 6, 2024
Simplenote is, well, much simpler and note-focused.
Negative comment by martinzeman · Oct 1, 2020
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.
3 of 3 comments
Simplenote is Free and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
Simplenote is Lightweight and MinimalisticNotion is not according to our users
Zim
522 likes
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"...
366 Zim alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Task Management
Origin
Netherlands
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Flathub
Flatpak
Netherlands
EU
+2
Good alternative?Is Zim a good alternative to Notion?

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2comments
Zim vs Notion Comments
Comment by Wesley Jensen · Oct 29, 2024
Good concept, but limited by the lack of a mobile app.
Positive comment by LordMax · May 7, 2021
really good but only for linux, in windows it's too limited
2 of 2 comments
Zim is Free and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
Zim is Lightweight and Privacy focusedNotion is not according to our users
CherryTree
336 likes
Hierarchical note-taking software that is free, open-source, cross-platform. Features include rich text, syntax highlighting, multi-level lists, embedded files, customizable interface, code execution, PDF export, spell check, images & tables, and comprehensive project management support.
161 CherryTree alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Flathub
PortableApps.com
Flatpak
+3
Good alternative?Is CherryTree a good alternative to Notion?

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3comments
CherryTree vs Notion Comments
Negative comment by MaxRenn · Apr 14, 2022
It's just a hierarchical note taking app. Not as powerful as Notion.
Comment by Wesley Jensen · Oct 29, 2024
Very good notes app, but has no mobile app.
Positive comment by LordMax · May 7, 2021
It's really good, free, portable etc The proble is the proprietary file system and it doens't work online
3 of 3 comments
CherryTree is Free and Open SourceNotion is Freemium and Proprietary
CherryTree is Privacy focusedNotion is not according to our users
Trilium Notes
129 likes
The original trilium is transfered to this repo by its owner and the app continues to develop here as stated here: https://github.com/TriliumNext/Trilium
442 Trilium Notes alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Self-Hosted
Google Chrome
Cloudron
Mozilla Firefox
+9
Good alternative?Is Trilium Notes a good alternative to Notion?
TiddlyWiki
316 likes
TiddlyWiki is a single html file with all the characteristics of a wiki - including all of the functionality (including editing, saving, tagging and searching) and the style sheet. Because its a single file, its very portable - you can email it, put it on a web server or share...
207 TiddlyWiki alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
BSD
Self-Hosted
Xfce
RemoteStorage
United Kingdom
Good alternative?Is TiddlyWiki a good alternative to Notion?
Tolaria
36 likes
Desktop note app stores plain markdown files with YAML, supports offline-first use, integrated Git repositories for full history, native Claude AI and Codex CLI integration, open source, portable data, keyboard-driven interface, no proprietary lock-in.
56 Tolaria alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application type
Note-taking
Origin
Italy
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Italy
EU
Good alternative?Is Tolaria a good alternative to Notion?
HelixNotes
33 likes
HelixNotes is a local markdown note-taking app built with Rust, Tauri 2.0, and SvelteKit. Your notes are standard .md files on your filesystem - sync with whatever you want or nothing at all.
173 HelixNotes alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
+1
Good alternative?Is HelixNotes a good alternative to Notion?

12 of 82 Notion alternatives

Notion AlternativesOnly Open Source apps categorised as Note-taking Tools

Alternatives list

PrivacyNotes

Joplin

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Logseq

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Notesnook

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Standard Notes

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AppFlowy

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Simplenote

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Alerts

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Zim

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CherryTree

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Trilium Notes

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TiddlyWiki

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Tolaria

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HelixNotes

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