AppFlowy vs Laverna
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
Laverna
Markdown note-taking app with client-side encryption
| Feature | AppFlowy | Laverna |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 24 · At risk |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Dart | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 76,904 | ★ 9,171 |
| First released | 2021 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Notion, Evernote | Evernote, Simplenote |
What are AppFlowy and Laverna?
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
Laverna
Laverna is an open-source, web-based note-taking application with Markdown support and client-side encryption. It can store notes locally or sync via Dropbox or remoteStorage and can be self-hosted as a static app.
- Client-side encryption
- Markdown editor
- Offline support
- Static self-hosted app
AppFlowy vs Laverna: key differences
AppFlowy is written in Dart, while Laverna is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for AppFlowy versus MPL-2.0 for Laverna. Laverna is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for AppFlowy. Laverna is the more established project (first released 2014), while AppFlowy arrived in 2021. AppFlowy has the considerably larger community, at 76,904 GitHub stars versus 9,171. AppFlowy lists first-class Docker deployment; Laverna 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 Laverna if…
- Strong privacy focus
- No backend required
Watch out for
- Development has stalled
- Aging codebase
Frequently asked questions
Is AppFlowy or Laverna better?
Neither is universally better. AppFlowy has the larger community, while Laverna is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are AppFlowy and Laverna free and open-source?
Yes. AppFlowy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Laverna under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AppFlowy and Laverna with Docker?
AppFlowy: yes. Laverna: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, AppFlowy or Laverna?
Laverna 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.