11 Best Open-Source Alternatives to Notion (2026)

Last checked October 2026 · 18 alternatives to Notion in our catalog

Notion paid plans start at $10/user/mo, which is why people look for an open-source alternative. Below are 11 open-source options you can inspect, modify and often self-host - 8 are completely free, 6 run on Linux and 10 work in the browser.

Quick picks

No paid tier at all

AFFiNE

Picked from listing data (price model, license, platforms, community votes), not hands-on testing.

Notion alternatives compared

Alternative	Price	Open source	Platforms	What it is
AFFiNE	Free	Yes (Other)	Web, Windows, Mac, Linux	All-in-one workspace for notes and knowledge management
AppFlowy	Free	Yes (AGPL-3.0)	Web	Note-taking and database app
Joplin	Free	Yes (Other)	Web, Windows, Mac, Linux	A free, open source note-taking and to-do application
logseq	Free	Yes (AGPL-3.0)	Web, Windows, Mac, Linux	A knowledge management tool for personal knowledge base and note-taking
Anytype	Freemium	Yes	Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS	A local-first, privacy-focused workspace for notes, docs, and databases you fully own.
Foam	Free	Yes (Other)	Web, Windows, Mac, Linux	A note-taking app for networked thought
nb	Free	Yes (AGPL-3.0)	Web, Windows, Mac, Linux	A minimalistic, open-source note-taking app
Outline	Free	Yes (Other)	Web	A collaborative, markdown‑based knowledge base for growing teams
unsloth	Free	Yes (Apache-2.0)	Web	Fine‑tune large language models locally with optimized, low‑memory kernels
Huly	—	Yes (EPL-2.0)	Web	An open-source, all-in-one project management platform combining issues, chat, and docs.
Nextcloud All-in-One	—	Yes (AGPL-3.0)	Web	The official Nextcloud installation method providing easy deployment and maintenance.

AFFiNE

FreeOpen source · OtherWebWindowsMacLinux

All-in-one workspace for notes and knowledge management

Highly customizable and adaptable to unique needs and workflows
Strong focus on security and data protection, with end-to-end encryption
Real-time collaboration features, with live commenting and @mentions

Steep learning curve, due to the high degree of customization and flexibility
Limited support for certain file types and formats

Full details Notion vs AFFiNE

AppFlowy

FreeOpen source · AGPL-3.0Web

Note-taking and database app

Highly customizable and flexible
Open-source and free to use
Collaboration features for teams

Steep learning curve for new users
Limited mobile app functionality

Full details Notion vs AppFlowy

Joplin

FreeOpen source · OtherWebWindowsMacLinux

A free, open source note-taking and to-do application

Free and open source
Highly customizable
Supports end-to-end encryption

Limited collaboration features
No built-in audio or video recording

Full details Notion vs Joplin

logseq

FreeOpen source · AGPL-3.0WebWindowsMacLinux

A knowledge management tool for personal knowledge base and note-taking

Highly customizable
Flexible and adaptable
Open-source and community-driven

Steep learning curve
Limited mobile support

Full details

Anytype

FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsMacLinuxiOS

A local-first, privacy-focused workspace for notes, docs, and databases you fully own.

Free plan includes: 100 MB of remote storage · 10 shared channels · Unlimited private channels

Local-first design keeps data on-device and offline-accessible
Open-source client code allows community scrutiny
Available across all major desktop and mobile platforms

As a newer local-first tool, the ecosystem of integrations is smaller than established note apps
Peer-to-peer sync can behave differently from familiar cloud-sync apps

Full details

Foam

FreeOpen source · OtherWebWindowsMacLinux

A note-taking app for networked thought

Highly customizable and extensible
Strong focus on knowledge management
Simple, distraction-free interface

Steep learning curve
Limited mobile support

Full details

nb

FreeOpen source · AGPL-3.0WebWindowsMacLinux

A minimalistic, open-source note-taking app

Minimalistic and distraction-free interface
Highly customizable
Supports Markdown syntax

Limited features compared to other note-taking apps
No built-in collaboration features

Full details

Outline

FreeOpen source · OtherWeb

A collaborative, markdown‑based knowledge base for growing teams

Free to use with no hidden fees
Markdown‑first editing for developers
Real‑time collaboration across the web

No native mobile apps
Limited offline access

Full details

unsloth

FreeOpen source · Apache-2.0Web

Fine‑tune large language models locally with optimized, low‑memory kernels

Reduces GPU memory requirements
Free and open‑source
Works on a single GPU

Limited to models that fit on one GPU
Requires Python proficiency

Full details

Huly

Free planOpen source · EPL-2.0Web

An open-source, all-in-one project management platform combining issues, chat, and docs.

Open-source codebase allows for deep customization and community trust
Replaces multiple fragmented tools with a single workspace

Pricing requires direct contact for enterprise teams
May have a learning curve when migrating from traditional standalone tools

Full details

Nextcloud All-in-One

Free planOpen source · AGPL-3.0Web

The official Nextcloud installation method providing easy deployment and maintenance.

Official Nextcloud installation and maintenance method
Combines multiple features into a single instance
Simplifies complex Docker deployments and updates

Requires familiarity with Docker and container management
Resource requirements scale with the number of enabled features

Full details

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to Notion?

AFFiNE is the first free alternative we list for Notion and has no paid tier. Others worth a look: AppFlowy, Joplin and logseq. Which one fits depends on what you use Notion for, so check the platform and free-plan details for each.

Is there an open-source alternative to Notion?

Yes: AFFiNE, AppFlowy, Joplin, logseq and Anytype. Open-source options can usually be inspected, modified and self-hosted.

Does Notion have a free plan?

Yes. The free plan includes Unlimited pages & blocks, Basic page analytics and 7-day page history. Paid plans start at $10/user/mo.

How this list is built: alternatives come from our catalog's curated alternative relationships; price model, license and platforms come from each product's listing; order is fully-free first, then community votes.