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Open-source alternatives to Notion

3 genuinely open-source alternatives with 139.5K combined GitHub stars. The most starred is AppFlowy, with 71.4K stars.

Why look for a Notion alternative?

Notion's per-seat pricing adds up for larger teams, offline support is limited, and all content is stored on Notion's servers with no self-hosting option. People look for alternatives when they need offline-first editing, full data ownership, or a self-hosted workspace they control end to end.

#1

AppFlowy

Local-first AI workspace for docs, databases, and tasks — open-source Notion alternative.

AGPL-3.0 alternative to Notion with offline desktop apps, self-hosted sync, and AI model choice. Documents, kanban, calendars, and databases under your control.

71.4K5.3KAGPL-3.0Self-hosted

Pricing: Free and open source (AGPL-3.0), self-hosted; a hosted sync service is also offered.

  • Local-first — works fully offline
  • Choice of AI model, including self-hosted
  • Smaller template/integration ecosystem than Notion
  • Mobile apps are less mature than desktop
View on GitHub
#2

NocoDB

Open-source Airtable alternative — any database becomes a spreadsheet.

AGPL-3.0 platform with Grid, Kanban, Gallery, Form, and Calendar views. Connects to MySQL, Postgres, SQLite with auto-generated REST/GraphQL APIs — useful for the database side of a Notion-like workflow.

63.2K4.8KAGPL-3.0Self-hosted

Pricing: Free and open source (AGPL-3.0), self-hosted; a paid cloud plan is available.

  • Works over your existing SQL database — no migration lock-in
  • Auto-generated REST/GraphQL APIs
  • AGPL-3.0 requires sharing modifications if distributed
  • Less polished document/wiki features than Notion
View on GitHub
#3

Baserow

No-code database and app builder — open-core Airtable alternative.

MIT open-core platform for relational databases, automations, dashboards, and AI-assisted workflows. API-first Django/Nuxt stack with Docker self-hosting.

4.9K618MITSelf-hosted

Pricing: Free and open core (MIT); paid tiers add automations and AI features.

  • Permissive MIT license for the core
  • API-first, simple to embed in other apps
  • Fewer views and features than NocoDB out of the box
  • Smaller community than NocoDB
View on GitHub

Compare Notion alternatives

ToolStarsLicenseSelf-hostedPricing
AppFlowy71.4KAGPL-3.0YesFree and open source (AGPL-3.0), self-hosted; a hosted sync service is also offered.
NocoDB63.2KAGPL-3.0YesFree and open source (AGPL-3.0), self-hosted; a paid cloud plan is available.
Baserow4.9KMITYesFree and open core (MIT); paid tiers add automations and AI features.

Which one should you choose?

Want the closest direct Notion replacement

Closest match: docs, databases, kanban, and calendars in one local-first, self-hostable app.

AppFlowy

Mainly need Notion's database/table views

Turns any SQL database into a grid with views and auto-generated APIs.

NocoDB

Want a lighter no-code database builder

Simpler, MIT-licensed option if NocoDB's AGPL terms or feature set are overkill.

Baserow
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