AppFlowy vs Dnote
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
Dnote
Simple command-line notebook with multi-device sync
| Feature | AppFlowy | Dnote |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 78 · Good |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Dart | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 76,904 | ★ 3,084 |
| First released | 2021 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Notion, Evernote | Evernote, Simplenote |
What are AppFlowy and Dnote?
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
Dnote
Dnote is an open-source, simple command-line notebook for programmers and terminal users. It captures quick notes without breaking focus and can sync through a self-hostable server.
- Command-line note capture
- Self-hostable sync server
- Browser extension
- Spaced-repetition digests
AppFlowy vs Dnote: key differences
AppFlowy is written in Dart, while Dnote is built with Go. Dnote is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for AppFlowy. Dnote is the more established project (first released 2017), while AppFlowy arrived in 2021. AppFlowy has the considerably larger community, at 76,904 GitHub stars versus 3,084.
Why pick each one
Choose AppFlowy if…
- Strong Notion alternative
- Active development
Watch out for
- Self-hosted backend is newer
- Still maturing
Choose Dnote if…
- Stays out of the way for developers
- Quick capture from terminal
Watch out for
- Terminal-first workflow
- Limited rich formatting
Frequently asked questions
Is AppFlowy or Dnote better?
Neither is universally better. AppFlowy has the larger community, while Dnote is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are AppFlowy and Dnote free and open-source?
Yes. AppFlowy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Dnote under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AppFlowy and Dnote with Docker?
AppFlowy: yes. Dnote: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, AppFlowy or Dnote?
Dnote has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for AppFlowy. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.