3 self-hosted Simplenote alternatives

Simplenote is a popular proprietary tool in the notes & knowledge base space. These open-source apps let you replace Simplenote with software you host and control yourself.

Best self-hosted Simplenote alternatives

Laverna

Notes & Knowledge Base

Markdown note-taking app with client-side encryption

Replaces Evernote, Simplenote

★ 9.2k Easy setup MPL-2.0

Flatnotes

Notes & Knowledge Base

Self-hosted, database-less note-taking web app

Replaces Evernote, Simplenote

★ 3.2k Easy setup MIT

Dnote

Notes & Knowledge Base

Simple command-line notebook with multi-device sync

Replaces Evernote, Simplenote

★ 3.1k Easy setup AGPL-3.0

Compare Simplenote alternatives

Switching from Simplenote

Moving off Simplenote means trading a managed subscription for a service you run yourself. The payoff is ownership: no per-seat pricing, no vendor lock-in, and full control of your data. Start with the option above that matches your setup-difficulty comfort level — every app links to a detailed specs page and head-to-head comparisons.