The alternatives
AFFiNE
There can be more than Notion and Miro. AFFiNE(pronounced [ə‘fain]) is a next-gen knowledge base that brings planning, sorting and creating all together. Privacy first, open-source, customizable and ready to use.
toeverything/AFFiNE Updated 2026-04-30 siyuan
A privacy-first, self-hosted, fully open source personal knowledge management software, written in typescript and golang.
siyuan-note/siyuan Updated 2026-05-01 logseq
A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. Download link: http://github.com/logseq/logseq/releases. roadmap: https://logseq.io/p/NX4mc_ggEV
logseq/logseq Updated 2026-05-01 outline
The fastest knowledge base for growing teams. Beautiful, realtime collaborative, feature packed, and markdown compatible.
outline/outline Updated 2026-05-01 Trilium
Build your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes
zadam/trilium Updated 2026-05-01 notesnook
A fully open source & end-to-end encrypted note taking alternative to Evernote.
streetwriters/notesnook Updated 2026-05-01 Notes
Build your personal knowledge base with TriliumNext Notes
TriliumNext/Notes Updated 2025-06-24 Comparison notes
OSS alternatives typically require self-hosting and operational effort in exchange for predictable cost and full data control. Feature parity varies — evaluate each option against your specific workflow before committing.
Migration tips
- Export data from the SaaS before migration (most provide CSV/JSON exports)
- Pilot the OSS alternative with a subset of your team before full rollout
- Budget for self-hosting infrastructure and maintenance time
FAQ
Can I fully replace Notion with an OSS tool?
Feature parity varies. Most OSS alternatives cover 70-90% of core workflows, but may lack polish, integrations, or specialized features. Pilot the alternative with a subset of your team before fully committing.
What's the cost of self-hosting?
Plan for ~$5-50/month in VPS costs (DigitalOcean, Hetzner, etc.) plus 2-8 hours/month in maintenance. For a team of 20+, self-hosting usually breaks even against SaaS pricing within 6-12 months.
Which alternative should I pick?
Sort by GitHub stars (a proxy for community health), check the last-pushed date (avoid unmaintained projects), and read recent issues to gauge responsiveness.