AppFlowy vs Docmost
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
Docmost
Open-source collaborative wiki and documentation
| Feature | AppFlowy | Docmost |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Dart | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 76,892 | ★ 21,764 |
| First released | 2021 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Notion, Evernote | Confluence, Notion |
What are AppFlowy and Docmost?
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
Docmost
Docmost is an open-source collaborative documentation and wiki software for teams to create and organize knowledge. It targets organizations seeking a self-hosted Confluence alternative. It is deployed via Docker with PostgreSQL.
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Spaces and nested pages
- Permissions and SSO
- Diagrams and embeds
AppFlowy vs Docmost: key differences
AppFlowy is written in Dart, while Docmost is built with TypeScript. AppFlowy is the more established project (first released 2021), while Docmost arrived in 2024. AppFlowy has the considerably larger community, at 76,892 GitHub stars versus 21,764.
Why pick each one
Choose AppFlowy if…
- Strong Notion alternative
- Active development
Watch out for
- Self-hosted backend is newer
- Still maturing
Choose Docmost if…
- Clean modern interface
- Good team collaboration
- Active development
Watch out for
- Young project
- Requires Postgres
Frequently asked questions
Is AppFlowy or Docmost better?
Neither is universally better. AppFlowy has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are AppFlowy and Docmost free and open-source?
Yes. AppFlowy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Docmost under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AppFlowy and Docmost with Docker?
AppFlowy: yes. Docmost: yes.