Self-hosted, database-less note-taking web app that stores notes as plain Markdown files in a folder, with tagging, wiki links, and full-text search.
3.2k stars196 forksMITlast commit Actively maintained
6 self-hosted iA Writer alternatives
Minimalist Markdown-focused writing application for drafting and editing text, offering features such as Focus Mode, syntax highlighting, a document library, cross-device sync, and export to common formats.
Alternatives to iA Writer
#2
Minimal, local-first markdown note-taking app built with Svelte and Tailwind; provides desktop (Tauri) and web interfaces with local PGlite storage.
1.7k stars54 forksAGPL-3.0last commit Slowing down
#3
Zen is a minimal self-hosted notes app that stores notes as Markdown with a local SQLite database, featuring fast full-text search, tagging, templates, and low resource usage.
1.1k stars61 forksAGPL-3.0last commit Actively maintained
#4
A minimalist, fast in-browser text editor with live Markdown preview, optional LaTeX/Math rendering, and export/print to PDF—runs fully offline with no server.
1.1k stars84 forkslast commit Likely dormant
Note Mark is a fast, minimal web-based Markdown notes app with a responsive UI, notebook sharing, attachments, and optional OIDC single sign-on.
757 stars27 forksAGPL-3.0last commit Actively maintained
#6
Lightweight note-taking app that stores notes as markdown files and folders on the filesystem; offers fast OS-optimized search, Milkdown editor, and Docker support.
156 stars6 forksAGPL-3.0last commit Actively maintained
What replacing iA Writer actually involves
Every option on this page is open source and free to run on your own hardware, so you own the data and there is no subscription to cancel. 4 of 6 shipped a commit in the last six months. Licences in this list: MIT, AGPL-3.0. In exchange you take on hosting, backups and updates yourself.
Browse everything in Notes & Personal Knowledge Management.
