AppFlowy vs memEx
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
AppFlowy
Open-source workspace and Notion alternative
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memEx
Structured personal knowledge base, inspired by zettlekasten and
| Feature | AppFlowy | memEx |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Dart | Docker |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 75,074 | — |
| First released | 2021 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Notion, Evernote | — |
Why pick each one
Choose memEx if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Docker
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is AppFlowy or memEx 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 memEx free and open-source?
Yes. AppFlowy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and memEx under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AppFlowy and memEx with Docker?
AppFlowy: yes. memEx: yes.