Open-source alternatives to Notion for notes and workspace

Notion official evergreen Open Graph image used to identify the commercial workspace — Notion official OG. Source · License: Notion product image.

This hub lists note and workspace tools people compare with Notion-style all-in-one platforms. Notion is named only to identify that class of product. Licenses are copied from the files we opened on 2026-10-24. Outline is BSL 1.1 on that date, not BSD.

Quick take.

AppFlowy — AGPL-3.0 Notion-like workspace for notes, wikis, and databases you can self-host.
AFFiNE — Local-first docs + whiteboard workspace. MIT client; EE license on backend packages.
Outline — Team knowledge base whose current repo LICENSE is Business Source License 1.1.

How we pick

Public GitHub repository we could open.
License copied from the repository LICENSE file, including EE / BSL carve-outs.
Note-taking, knowledge management, or workspace collaboration features.
No quality ranking; we have no sourced comparison against Notion.

Comparison

Name	License	Stars (GitHub)	Best for
AppFlowy	AGPL-3.0	77,689	AGPL-3.0 Notion-like workspace for notes, wikis, and databases you can self-host.
AFFiNE	other	73,780	Local-first docs + whiteboard workspace. MIT client; EE license on backend packages.
Outline	BUSL-1.1	41,042	Team knowledge base whose current repo LICENSE is Business Source License 1.1.

Listed workspace tools with dedicated pages: AppFlowy (AGPL-3.0, 77,689 stars, v0.14.10), AFFiNE (MIT client + EE backend, 73,780 stars, v0.27.4), and Outline (BSL 1.1, 41,042 stars, v1.12.0). Logseq (AGPL-3.0 on its own repo) is still named in older copy and does not have a tool page yet.

Need Notion AI (Q&A over docs), not a workspace clone? That is a different search: Notion AI alternatives — AnythingLLM, RAGFlow, Khoj, Onyx.

For writing enhancement, see Grammarly alternatives. For office suites, see Microsoft Word alternatives. For AI slides, see Gamma alternatives. For pixel editors people also search from “workspace” queries: PhotoCraft vs GIMP.

Sourced snapshot (2026-10-24)

Field	AppFlowy	AFFiNE	Outline
Repository	AppFlowy-IO/AppFlowy	toeverything/AFFiNE	outline/outline
Stars / forks	77,689 / 6,084	73,780 / 5,380	41,042 / 3,635
License	AGPL-3.0	MIT outside backend/native; EE on those trees	BUSL-1.1 (Change Date 2030-10-23 → Apache-2.0)
Latest release used	v0.14.10 (2026-10-21)	v0.27.4 (2026-08-18)	v1.12.0 (2026-10-23)
Last push	2026-10-21	2026-10-23	2026-10-24
Quality vs Notion	Not independently tested	Not independently tested	Not independently tested

Why people look for Notion alternatives

Notion is a hosted all-in-one workspace for notes, wikis, databases, and project management. People search for alternatives because they want local files, self-hosting, a license they can read, or a different editor (outliner, whiteboard, team wiki). Those are product-class reasons, not a quality score.

How to choose

Need an AGPL Notion-like desktop with grids and kanbans: AppFlowy.
Need docs + whiteboard and can read the MIT/EE split: AFFiNE.
Need a team wiki and can accept BSL 1.1 (no third-party Document Service): Outline.
Need RAG / doc Q&A, not blocks-and-pages: Notion AI alternatives.
Need team chat, not a wiki: Slack alternatives (Zulip, Mattermost). Community / Matrix chat: Discord alternatives.

We do not claim any row matches Notion’s polish, mobile apps, or integrations.

Listed options

AppFlowy

AGPL-3.0 Notion-like workspace for notes, wikis, and databases you can self-host.

AGPL-3.0

AFFiNE

Local-first docs + whiteboard workspace. MIT client; EE license on backend packages.

other

Outline

Team knowledge base whose current repo LICENSE is Business Source License 1.1.

BUSL-1.1

FAQ

What is the best open-source Notion alternative?

It depends on the job and the license you can accept. AppFlowy (AGPL-3.0, 77,689 stars, v0.14.10) is the Notion-like desktop row. AFFiNE (73,780 stars, v0.27.4) is docs plus whiteboard; MIT outside backend/native, EE on those trees. Outline (41,042 stars, v1.12.0) is a team wiki whose current LICENSE is BSL 1.1, not BSD-3-Clause. We do not rank them against Notion.

Can I self-host these tools?

Each project publishes a self-host or local path. Outline’s BSL Additional Use Grant forbids using the Licensed Work as a Document Service for third-party teams. AFFiNE EE packages need an EE subscription in production. Read each LICENSE. We have not run those installs.

I want Notion AI, not a Notion clone. Where do I go?

This hub is workspace apps (notes, wikis, databases). For RAG / doc Q&A see Notion AI alternatives (AnythingLLM, RAGFlow, Khoj, Onyx). Different search intent.

Is Outline still BSD?

Not on the file we opened 2026-10-24. outline/outline LICENSE is Business Source License 1.1 (Licensed Work Outline 1.12.0; Change Date 2030-10-23; Change License Apache-2.0). The file says BSL is not an Open Source license.

Sources & verification

Last verified 2026-10-24 · Last updated 2026-10-24· Edited by forkalt editors · Editorial policy

License notes are not legal advice. Read the original LICENSE. Trademark & disclaimer.