your ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/week

Docs and wikis

Free Notion alternatives

Notion (Connected workspace for docs, wikis and projects) is a commercial product. These 3 tools do the same job and are free to use or to self-host.
Short answer: the best free alternatives to Notion are AppFlowy, AFFiNE and Outline. Self-hosting is free; you pay only for the server (a small VPS is about $4–6/mo). Licenses and prices checked 2026-10-01.
  1. 1
    AppFlowy

    Open-source AI workspace, a Notion alternative

    Notion-style workspace that keeps data local.

    Open source (AGPL-3.0) ·details

  2. 2
    AFFiNE

    All in one Knowledge management OS

    Docs, whiteboards and databases in one.

    Open source (MIT (community)) ·▲ 5 upvotes on DevHunt · details

  3. 3
    Outline

    Fast team knowledge base and wiki

    Team wiki; free to self-host.

    Source-available (BSL-1.1) ·details

Want paid options too? See all Notion alternatives or the full free alternatives list.

FAQ

Is there a free alternative to Notion?+

Yes. AppFlowy, AFFiNE and Outline do the same job for free; AppFlowy and AFFiNE are open source.

What is the best open-source alternative to Notion?+

AFFiNE is the most upvoted open-source option on DevHunt (5 upvotes). Docs, whiteboards and databases in one.

Are these Notion alternatives open source?+

AppFlowy and AFFiNE are under OSI-approved licenses. Outline (BSL-1.1) is source-available: free to self-host, with limits in the license.

Open source: OSI-approved license. Free to self-host: the code is public and free to run yourself, with limits in the license.