AppFlowy vs SilverBullet
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
SilverBullet
Hackable note-taking for the self-hosted web
| Feature | AppFlowy | SilverBullet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Dart | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 76,904 | ★ 6,142 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Notion, Evernote | Notion, Obsidian |
What are AppFlowy and SilverBullet?
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
SilverBullet
SilverBullet is an extensible, Markdown-based note-taking web app that you can run on your own server and access from any browser. It targets users who want a programmable personal knowledge tool. It is deployed via Docker or Deno.
- Markdown-based with live queries
- Extensible via Space Script
- Works offline as a PWA
- Plain file storage
AppFlowy vs SilverBullet: key differences
AppFlowy is written in Dart, while SilverBullet is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for AppFlowy versus MIT for SilverBullet. SilverBullet is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for AppFlowy. AppFlowy has the considerably larger community, at 76,904 GitHub stars versus 6,142.
Why pick each one
Choose AppFlowy if…
- Strong Notion alternative
- Active development
Watch out for
- Self-hosted backend is newer
- Still maturing
Choose SilverBullet if…
- Highly hackable
- Lightweight
- Files stay portable
Watch out for
- Niche and DIY-oriented
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is AppFlowy or SilverBullet better?
Neither is universally better. AppFlowy has the larger community, while SilverBullet is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are AppFlowy and SilverBullet free and open-source?
Yes. AppFlowy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SilverBullet under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AppFlowy and SilverBullet with Docker?
AppFlowy: yes. SilverBullet: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, AppFlowy or SilverBullet?
SilverBullet 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.