Replacing Notion with a Self-Hosted Alternative: AppFlowy, AFFiNE, and Outline Compared

Notion is a fantastic product. It combines documents, wikis, databases, and project management into one tool that millions of teams rely on. But it also means your notes, company knowledge base, and project plans all live on Notion's servers, subject to Notion's pricing, Notion's uptime, and Notion's data policies.

If that makes you uncomfortable — or if you've hit Notion's pricing tiers and wondered if there's a better way — here are three self-hosted alternatives worth considering.

The Contenders

We're comparing three actively-maintained open source projects that aim to replace some or all of Notion's functionality:

1. AppFlowy — The most direct Notion clone
2. AFFiNE — Combines whiteboard + docs in a novel way
3. Outline — A focused team wiki / knowledge base

Each takes a different approach, so the right choice depends on which parts of Notion you actually use.

AppFlowy

What it is: An open source Notion alternative that replicates Notion's core experience — documents with database views, kanban boards, calendars, and a block-based editor.

Built with: Rust (backend) + Flutter (desktop/mobile) + Dart

Strengths

• Closest to Notion's UX — If you're used to Notion's block-based editor, AppFlowy feels familiar
• Database views — Table, kanban, calendar, and grid views work well
• Offline-first — Local data storage with optional cloud sync
• Cross-platform — Desktop apps for macOS, Windows, Linux; mobile apps available
• Active development — Frequent releases and growing community

Weaknesses

• Self-hosted server (AppFlowy Cloud) is complex — requires Docker Compose with PostgreSQL, Redis, MinIO, and Gotrue
• Web interface is secondary — primarily a desktop/mobile app
• Collaboration features are still maturing — real-time editing works but has rough edges
• Plugin ecosystem doesn't exist yet — no equivalent of Notion integrations

Self-hosting requirements

• 4 GB RAM minimum (multiple services)
• Docker Compose with ~6 containers
• PostgreSQL, Redis, MinIO (S3-compatible storage)
• Setup difficulty: Medium-High

Best for

Individuals or small teams who want a Notion-like experience with local-first data ownership and are comfortable with a somewhat complex server setup.

AFFiNE

What it is: A "next-gen knowledge base" that merges documents and whiteboards. Think Notion meets Miro.

Built with: TypeScript (full stack), using BlockSuite as its editor framework

Strengths

• Whiteboard mode — Unique feature: switch any document between page mode and whiteboard mode
• Modern tech stack — Clean TypeScript codebase
• Block-based editor — Good editing experience with slash commands
• Local-first architecture — Uses CRDT (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) for sync
• Web-native — Runs great in the browser

Weaknesses

• Younger project — Some features are still in alpha/beta
• Database views are limited — Doesn't match Notion's database functionality yet
• Self-hosting documentation is sparse — Community edition setup requires digging
• Whiteboard features may be overkill if you just want docs/wiki
• Resource usage can be high — the editor is feature-rich but heavy

Self-hosting requirements

• 2-4 GB RAM
• Docker or direct Node.js deployment
• PostgreSQL for data storage
• Setup difficulty: Medium

Best for

Teams that value the whiteboard/visual thinking aspect alongside documents. Good for brainstorming, design teams, and anyone who thinks spatially.

Outline

What it is: A team wiki and knowledge base. It doesn't try to be Notion — it does one thing (team documentation) and does it very well.

Built with: TypeScript (React frontend, Node.js backend)

Strengths

• Excellent editing experience — Fast, clean markdown editor that's a joy to use
• Search that actually works — Full-text search across all documents
• Collections and nesting — Organize documents in a clear hierarchy
• API-first — Well-documented REST API for automation
• SSO/OIDC support — Enterprise-grade authentication out of the box
• Mature and stable — Used in production by many companies
• Slack integration — Search and share docs from Slack

Weaknesses

• No databases or kanban — It's a wiki, not a project management tool
• Requires an auth provider — Needs OIDC (like Keycloak or Google Workspace) — no simple username/password
• No offline support — Web-only, requires connection
• S3-compatible storage required — Needs MinIO or similar for file uploads

Self-hosting requirements

• 2 GB RAM minimum
• Docker Compose with PostgreSQL, Redis, MinIO
• An OIDC provider (Keycloak, Authentik, or a cloud provider like Google)
• Setup difficulty: Medium (the auth requirement adds complexity)

Best for

Teams that primarily use Notion as a knowledge base / internal wiki. If you don't use Notion's databases or project management features, Outline is a better, more focused tool.

Feature Comparison

The Honest Assessment

None of these fully replace Notion. That's the truth. Notion has had years of development, a large team, and hundreds of millions in funding. Open source alternatives are catching up, but they're not at feature parity yet.

What they do well:

• Basic to intermediate document editing
• Self-hosted data ownership
• Team knowledge bases and wikis

Where they fall short:

• Complex relational databases across multiple views
• Deep integration ecosystems (Notion has hundreds of integrations)
• Polish and edge cases (Notion handles edge cases better because they've had millions of users finding them)

Our Recommendation

If you use Notion as a wiki/knowledge base: Go with Outline. It's mature, stable, and the editing experience is excellent. The auth requirement adds initial setup complexity, but it means you get proper team access control from day one.

If you want the full Notion experience: Try AppFlowy. It's the closest alternative and improving rapidly. Accept that some features will be rougher than Notion, but the trajectory is promising.

If you're a visual thinker: Give AFFiNE a look. The whiteboard + document paradigm is genuinely innovative. Just be prepared for a younger, less polished product.

If none of these quite work: Consider a hybrid approach — Outline for your team wiki (where you'd most benefit from self-hosting) and keep Notion for the database/project management features that self-hosted alternatives haven't caught up on yet.

Getting Started

Whichever option you choose, start with a low-stakes use case:

1. Set up the self-hosted version alongside your current tool (don't migrate everything at once)
2. Move one team's documentation or one project as a trial
3. Give it 2-4 weeks of real usage before deciding
4. If it works, gradually migrate more content; if not, you haven't lost anything

Self-hosted productivity tools have come a long way. They're not perfect replacements yet, but for teams that value data ownership, they're increasingly viable — and every month brings them closer to parity.