AppFlowy vs Boost Note
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
AppFlowy
Open-source workspace and Notion alternative
VS
Boost Note
Archived
Markdown note-taking app aimed at developers
| Feature | AppFlowy | Boost Note |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Dart | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 76,904 | ★ 4,046 |
| First released | 2021 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Notion, Evernote | Evernote |
What are AppFlowy and Boost Note?
AppFlowy
AppFlowy is an open-source workspace for notes, wikis, and project management designed as a privacy-first alternative to Notion. It can run locally and supports a self-hosted sync backend.
- Notion-like blocks and databases
- Local-first data
- Self-hostable cloud backend
- Cross-platform apps
Boost Note
Boost Note is an open-source note-taking app aimed at developers, with Markdown editing, code snippet notes, tagging, and syntax highlighting. Notes are stored as files. The upstream app repository is archived and no longer actively developed.
- Markdown and snippet notes
- Tag-based organization
- File-based storage
- Code syntax highlighting
AppFlowy vs Boost Note: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Boost Note's repository is archived and no longer developed, while AppFlowy is actively maintained. AppFlowy is written in Dart, while Boost Note is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for AppFlowy versus GPL-3.0 for Boost Note. Boost Note is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for AppFlowy. Boost Note is the more established project (first released 2016), while AppFlowy arrived in 2021. AppFlowy has the considerably larger community, at 76,904 GitHub stars versus 4,046. AppFlowy lists first-class Docker deployment; Boost Note does not.
Why pick each one
Choose AppFlowy if…
- Strong Notion alternative
- Active development
Watch out for
- Self-hosted backend is newer
- Still maturing
Choose Boost Note if…
- Developer-friendly
- Files you control
Watch out for
- Project direction shifted
- No first-party server
Frequently asked questions
Is AppFlowy or Boost Note better?
Neither is universally better. AppFlowy has the larger community, while Boost Note is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are AppFlowy and Boost Note free and open-source?
Yes. AppFlowy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Boost Note under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AppFlowy and Boost Note with Docker?
AppFlowy: yes. Boost Note: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, AppFlowy or Boost Note?
Boost Note has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for AppFlowy. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.