Self-hosted alternative to Notion
No self-hosted tool is a pixel-perfect Notion clone yet, but several get close depending on what you use Notion for. For personal notes and databases, AppFlowy or AFFiNE. For a team wiki, Outline or Docmost.
Updated 2026-06-01 · by Jonathan Caruso
Top pick
AppFlowy
AppFlowy is the closest to personal Notion: pages, boards, and database-style views, with offline-first local data and a self-hostable backend. It moves quickly and looks the part.
The options
AppFlowy
AGPL, freeA Notion-style notes and database app, offline-first, with a self-hostable backend.
Visit AppFlowy site- Runs on
- Desktop app plus optional self-hosted backend (Docker)
- Pick it if
- You want personal Notion-style pages and databases, with your data local.
AFFiNE
MIT-style, freeA docs-plus-whiteboard tool that mixes pages with an infinite canvas.
Visit AFFiNE site- Runs on
- Docker, ~2 GB RAM
- Pick it if
- You like Notion docs but also want a whiteboard and canvas in the same tool.
Outline
BSL, free to self-hostA clean team wiki and knowledge base with great search and structure.
Visit Outline site- Runs on
- Docker, ~1-2 GB RAM, needs Postgres and Redis
- Pick it if
- You want a shared team wiki more than personal database pages.
The verdict
For personal use, run AppFlowy. It is the closest to Notion's pages and databases and your data stays local. Pick AFFiNE if you want docs plus a whiteboard in one place. Pick Outline (or Docmost) if you mostly need a clean, searchable team wiki rather than Notion's database views. Set expectations: these are close, not identical, so test your real workflow before you migrate.
FAQ
What are people using instead of Notion?
For self-hosted options, AppFlowy and AFFiNE are the closest to personal Notion with pages and databases, while Outline and Docmost suit team wikis. Many people also move to Obsidian for local markdown notes.
Can you self-host Notion?
Notion itself is cloud-only and cannot be self-hosted. But several self-hosted apps replicate most of what people use it for, with your data on your own server: AppFlowy, AFFiNE, Outline, and Docmost.
What are good self-hosted Notion alternatives for teams?
For team use, Outline and Docmost are the strongest: shared wikis with good search, structure, and permissions. AppFlowy and AFFiNE lean more personal but are improving their collaboration features.