Writing & notes

AppFlowy

An open-source Notion alternative that keeps your data yours

Visit official page 日本語で詳しく見る

Popularity

★ 76k

Last update

August 2026

License / pricing

AGPL-3.0

What it does

Documents, tables, kanban boards and AI writing assistance in one workspace, with the difference that you decide where the data lives - locally or on infrastructure you control. Desktop and mobile apps are published, so ordinary use needs no command line; self-hosting is a separate exercise. Licensed AGPL-3.0, which matters if you plan to build a product on top of it. Some AI features call out to external services.

Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.

Screenshots & visuals

Before you start

Setup difficultyEasy to start
Command lineNot required
API keyNot required
Sends data onlineNo

Judged automatically from the project's own metadata. Always confirm on the official page.

AppFlowy FAQ

Is AppFlowy free?: Yes. It runs on your own machine, so there is no usage-based cost either.
Do I need to install anything or write code to use AppFlowy?: You install it like a normal desktop app. No command line involved.
Does AppFlowy work on a phone?: No. It needs a computer.
Can I use AppFlowy commercially?: The licence is AGPL-3.0. Using it commercially is fine, but if you distribute something built on it you may be required to release that under the same licence. Keep it internal, or check before distributing.

How it compares

The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.

Tool	Command line	API key	Sends data out	Phone	Commercial use
AppFlowy (this page)	Not needed	Not needed	No	No	Yes
joplin	Not needed	Not needed	Yes	No	Not verified
notesnook	Not needed	Not needed	Yes	No	Yes
note-gen	Not needed	Required	Yes	No	Yes

"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.

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Lumina-Note

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What it does

Summary based on the project's own description. The Japanese page has a fuller beginner guide: setup difficulty, what to prepare, and a step-by-step start.

AppFlowy FAQ

Is AppFlowy free?

Yes. It runs on your own machine, so there is no usage-based cost either.

Do I need to install anything or write code to use AppFlowy?

You install it like a normal desktop app. No command line involved.

Does AppFlowy work on a phone?

No. It needs a computer.

Can I use AppFlowy commercially?

The licence is AGPL-3.0. Using it commercially is fine, but if you distribute something built on it you may be required to release that under the same licence. Keep it internal, or check before distributing.

How it compares

The conditions that decide whether you can actually use it, side by side.

Tool	Command line	API key	Sends data out	Phone	Commercial use
AppFlowy (this page)	Not needed	Not needed	No	No	Yes
joplin	Not needed	Not needed	Yes	No	Not verified
notesnook	Not needed	Not needed	Yes	No	Yes
note-gen	Not needed	Required	Yes	No	Yes

"Sends data out" means your input is uploaded to someone's server. Pick "No" when the material cannot leave your organisation.