AppFlowy Cloud vs Notesnook
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Notesnook
Private, end-to-end encrypted note-taking app
| Feature | AppFlowy Cloud | Notesnook |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 94 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,004 | ★ 14,628 |
| First released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Notion | Evernote, OneNote, Notion |
What are AppFlowy Cloud and Notesnook?
AppFlowy Cloud
AppFlowy Cloud is the self-hostable backend service that powers collaboration and sync for the AppFlowy open-source workspace and note-taking application. It lets teams keep documents and data on their own servers.
- Self-hosted sync backend
- Real-time collaboration
- Document storage
- Open-source server
Notesnook
Notesnook is an open-source, privacy-focused note-taking app with end-to-end encryption on all notes. Its sync server can be self-hosted so users keep complete control of their encrypted data.
- End-to-end encrypted notes
- Self-hostable sync server
- Rich text editor
- Cross-platform apps
AppFlowy Cloud vs Notesnook: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: AppFlowy Cloud's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Notesnook is actively maintained. AppFlowy Cloud is written in Rust, while Notesnook is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for AppFlowy Cloud versus GPL-3.0 for Notesnook. Notesnook is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for AppFlowy Cloud. Notesnook is the more established project (first released 2021), while AppFlowy Cloud arrived in 2023. Notesnook has the considerably larger community, at 14,628 GitHub stars versus 2,004.
Why pick each one
Choose AppFlowy Cloud if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Rust
Choose Notesnook if…
- Strong privacy by default
- Polished apps on all platforms
Watch out for
- Self-hosting is relatively new
- Some features tied to subscription
Frequently asked questions
Is AppFlowy Cloud or Notesnook better?
Neither is universally better. Notesnook has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are AppFlowy Cloud and Notesnook free and open-source?
Yes. AppFlowy Cloud is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Notesnook under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AppFlowy Cloud and Notesnook with Docker?
AppFlowy Cloud: yes. Notesnook: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, AppFlowy Cloud or Notesnook?
Notesnook has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for AppFlowy Cloud. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.