AppFlowy vs Wiki.js
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
Wiki.js
Modern and powerful open-source wiki
| Feature | AppFlowy | Wiki.js |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 98 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Dart | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 76,904 | ★ 28,956 |
| First released | 2021 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Notion, Evernote | Confluence, Notion |
What are AppFlowy and Wiki.js?
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
Wiki.js
Wiki.js is a modern, feature-rich wiki engine with multiple editors, authentication options, and storage backends. It targets teams and communities building a structured knowledge base. It is deployed via Docker or Node.js.
- Markdown, WYSIWYG and code editors
- Many authentication providers
- Git and storage sync
- Powerful permissions
AppFlowy vs Wiki.js: key differences
AppFlowy is written in Dart, while Wiki.js is built with Vue. Wiki.js is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for AppFlowy. Wiki.js 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 28,956.
Why pick each one
Choose AppFlowy if…
- Strong Notion alternative
- Active development
Watch out for
- Self-hosted backend is newer
- Still maturing
Choose Wiki.js if…
- Flexible and full-featured
- Many auth options
- Good content management
Watch out for
- Configuration can be involved
- Version 3 rewrite in progress
Frequently asked questions
Is AppFlowy or Wiki.js 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 Wiki.js free and open-source?
Yes. AppFlowy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Wiki.js under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AppFlowy and Wiki.js with Docker?
AppFlowy: yes. Wiki.js: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, AppFlowy or Wiki.js?
Wiki.js has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for AppFlowy. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.