Best Self Hosted Alternatives to AppFlowy Cloud

AppFlowy is an open-source, privacy-focused collaborative workspace designed as an alternative to Notion. It combines rich documents, databases, boards, and AI-assisted tools across desktop, mobile, and web clients while keeping a local-first data model.

Key Features

• Rich editor with many block/content types (code blocks, equations, embeds, toggles) and customizable templates
• Database views: grid, board (kanban), calendar and custom views for structured data
• Hybrid architecture: Flutter-based native clients and a Rust core handling business logic and persistence
• Local-first storage using SQLite plus CRDT-based collaboration layers and optional cloud sync
• Built-in AI features (AI chat and writers) with support for local and external models and model selection
• Cross-platform distribution: native macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android clients; web client for browser access
• Extensible plugin and template ecosystem with community-contributed Flutter packages and editor plugins

Use Cases

• Personal knowledge management and note-taking with structured databases and rich content
• Team collaboration for project documentation, shared wikis, and kanban-based task tracking
• Publishing documentation or lightweight sites and using AI to generate summaries, drafts, or takeaways

Limitations and Considerations

• Feature parity with established commercial products is still evolving; some advanced Notion features may be missing or in-progress
• Web deployment and self-hosted web setup can require configuration (CORS, environment variables) and has had community-reported friction during installation
• Commercial/cloud features and enterprise-grade services are shipped separately (cloud offerings and paid tiers); community and plugin ecosystems are active but still maturing

AppFlowy is best suited for users who want control over their data, cross-device native experiences, and an open-source, extensible workspace. It is actively developed with a thriving community, and feature coverage continues to expand through releases and community contributions.

AFFiNE is an open-source, local-first knowledge OS that combines documents, whiteboards and multi-view databases into a single hyper-fused workspace. It offers cross-platform clients (web, desktop, mobile) and real-time collaboration while emphasizing privacy and self-hosting options. (affine.pro)

Key Features

• Unified canvas merging rich text, visual whiteboards and multi-view databases into one editable space. (raw.githubusercontent.com)
• Multimodal AI assistant for writing, drawing, summarization, slide generation and brainstorming. (raw.githubusercontent.com)
• Local-first storage and real-time synchronization for collaborative editing across clients. (raw.githubusercontent.com)
• Cross-platform distribution with desktop (Electron-based) apps and mobile clients, plus a web demo. (raw.githubusercontent.com)
• Built on a polyglot stack including TypeScript frontends, Rust-based data engine (OctoBase/Cargo toolchain), CRDT sync foundations and modern frontend tooling. (raw.githubusercontent.com)

Use Cases

• Team knowledge bases and product wikis that need rich visual boards and structured databases in one workspace. (raw.githubusercontent.com)
• Design and ideation sessions combining freeform whiteboarding with embedded documents and assets. (raw.githubusercontent.com)
• Personal and team note-taking with templates, real-time collaboration and local-first data ownership. (raw.githubusercontent.com)

Limitations and Considerations

• Plugin/third-party block ecosystem is still maturing; a more extensive plugin marketplace and third-party block ecosystem is planned but not yet fully available. (raw.githubusercontent.com)
• An Enterprise Edition is referenced as forthcoming; some enterprise features (SSO, advanced admin/audit) are not yet published in the Community Edition. (raw.githubusercontent.com)

AFFiNE targets users who want a privacy-focused, extensible alternative to siloed doc and whiteboard tools. It is suitable for individuals and teams that prefer self-hosting, local-first storage and a single hyper-fused workspace for creative and structured work. (affine.pro)

Logseq is a privacy-first platform for personal knowledge management built around linked, block-based notes organized as a graph. It supports local-first workflows using Markdown or Org-mode files, with additional options for database-backed graphs and real-time collaboration.

Key Features

• Block-based outlining with bidirectional linking and graph-based navigation
• Local file-based graphs using Markdown and Org-mode for longevity and portability
• Task management features integrated into notes (e.g., TODO workflows and queries)
• Whiteboards for spatial thinking with shapes, connectors, drawings, and embeds
• PDF reading and annotation integrated into the knowledge base
• Plugin and theme ecosystem via a dedicated plugin API
• Optional database-backed graphs with sync and real-time collaboration capabilities

Use Cases

• Personal knowledge base for research notes, study, and writing workflows
• Daily journaling and task tracking with linked context across projects
• Team knowledge sharing and collaborative note-taking (where collaboration is enabled)

Limitations and Considerations

• Database-backed graphs and real-time collaboration features may be in beta/alpha and can carry higher risk of data issues; backups are recommended

Logseq is well-suited for users who want a durable, local-first note system with strong linking and outlining. Its whiteboards, PDF annotation, and extensibility make it flexible for both personal productivity and collaborative knowledge work.

HedgeDoc (formerly CodiMD) is an open-source, web-based Markdown editor focused on real-time collaboration. It enables teams to co-edit notes in the browser, share note links, and work together on text, diagrams, and presentations.

Key Features

• Real-time collaborative editing in the browser
• Markdown-based notes with support for diagrams and embedded content
• Presentation mode for Markdown slides
• Simple note permission controls for sharing and editing
• Revision history with the ability to review and revert changes
• Designed to run with low system requirements

Use Cases

• Team meeting notes and collaborative documentation
• Workshops, classes, and live note-taking sessions
• Creating Markdown slide decks for internal presentations

Limitations and Considerations

• HedgeDoc 2 is a rewrite and the development branch may not include all features compared to the stable 1.x releases

HedgeDoc is well-suited for groups that want a fast, link-shareable collaborative editor with Markdown-centric workflows. It combines realtime editing with practical publishing features like revisions and presentation mode for everyday knowledge sharing.

NoteDiscovery is a lightweight, self-hosted knowledge base and note-taking application that stores content as plain Markdown files in folders. It focuses on fast navigation and discovery of notes with a modern web interface, while keeping data under your control.

Key Features

• Markdown editor with live preview and code syntax highlighting
• Wikilinks for connecting notes and an interactive graph view
• YAML frontmatter metadata with tag-based organization and filtering
• Templates with dynamic placeholders for creating reusable note formats
• Mermaid diagram rendering and LaTeX/MathJax equation support
• Favorites, outline (table of contents) panel, and keyboard shortcuts
• Plugin system for extending functionality
• Optional built-in password protection and a REST API
• Responsive UI with Progressive Web App (PWA) support
• Export notes as standalone HTML files

Use Cases

• Personal knowledge base or “second brain” built on local Markdown files
• Developer documentation and technical notes with code blocks, diagrams, and math
• Small team internal wiki with simple sharing and optional authentication

NoteDiscovery is a practical option for users who want a fast, Markdown-first knowledge base with linking and visualization features, without relying on proprietary storage formats. Its file-based approach also makes backups and migrations straightforward.

Wiki-Go is a modern, databaseless flat-file wiki platform built with Go. It stores content as Markdown in a flat-file structure and offers features for knowledge bases, documentation, and collaboration without requiring an external database.

Key Features

• Full Markdown editing with emoji, Mermaid diagrams, and LaTeX math
• Smart full-text search with highlighting and advanced filters
• Hierarchical page structure with version history
• User management, access control, and private wiki mode
• Comments with moderation and markdown support
• No external database; file-based storage, easy backups
• Instant setup via Docker or prebuilt binaries
• Custom logos, banners, shortcodes, and more
• Link management with automatic metadata fetching and categorization
• Interactive Kanban boards for project management

Use Cases

• Team documentation and internal wikis for product teams
• Public documentation portals and knowledge bases
• Personal knowledge bases and collaborative projects

Limitations and Considerations

• Non-SSL setups require allow_insecure_cookies: true; this reduces security and should only be used in trusted networks; TLS is recommended for production.
• Default admin credentials exist; change them immediately after first login to secure the wiki.

Conclusion

Wiki-Go provides a lightweight, self-contained wiki workflow with Markdown-centric content, easy deployment via Docker or binaries, and no external database dependencies, making it suitable for teams and individuals for knowledge management.

Nextcloud Tables is a table and lightweight app builder integrated into Nextcloud that lets users create structured tables, custom views and combine tables into simple applications. It provides spreadsheet-like editing, rich column types and an API for automation and integration.

Key Features

• Create custom tables with flexible column types (plain text, rich text, links, numbers, progress, star rating, boolean, dates/times, single/multi-select, user/group references).
• Pre-built templates and CSV/spreadsheet import with automatic type detection (dates, currencies, percentages) to migrate spreadsheet data quickly.
• Multiple views and filters per table (saved filters, custom sort) and server-side sorting for large datasets.
• Combine tables and views into Applications (top-toolbar entries) to expose curated data sets as simple apps inside Nextcloud Hub.
• Sharing and permissions integrated with Nextcloud users/groups; supports sharing with teams and group-based access controls.
• OpenAPI-documented backend API for automation, integrations and third-party clients; includes developer documentation and migration guides.
• Modern frontend stack with TypeScript, Vite and Vue; uses rich-text rendering (tiptap) and state management (Pinia migration referenced in changelogs).

Use Cases

• Team inventories, light CRM, task/checklist tracking and structured project spreadsheets accessible to a team inside Nextcloud.
• Build small internal apps by combining tables and views (e.g., volunteer management, event registrations, expense tracking) without custom code.
• Import legacy spreadsheets or CSV exports and convert them into shareable, permissioned Nextcloud datasets with filtered views.

Limitations and Considerations

• Mobile client support is available (third-party/official Android client projects exist), but some clients note limited support for table views and combined Applications; mobile feature parity may be incomplete compared to the web UI.
• As a Nextcloud app, functionality depends on the host Nextcloud version and server configuration; feature availability and performance can vary with Nextcloud releases and server resources.

Nextcloud Tables provides a practical, integrated way to manage structured data inside Nextcloud Hub, bridging spreadsheets and simple apps. It is geared toward teams already using Nextcloud who need permissioned, shareable tables and lightweight internal applications.