AppFlowy vs Obsidian
Both are free/open-source alternatives to Notion. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
AppFlowy
The open-source Notion alternative, self-hostable.
AppFlowy mirrors Notion's docs-plus-databases model as an open-source app you can run locally or self-host, keeping your data on infrastructure you control.
Obsidian
Local Markdown notes with a huge plugin ecosystem.
Obsidian keeps every note as a local Markdown file and layers a powerful linked-notes and plugin ecosystem on top. It is free to use and local-first, though the app itself is closed-source.
Side by side
| AppFlowy | Obsidian | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 85 | 78 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes | No |
| Local-first | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Proprietary (free) |
| Pricing | Free / open-source; optional paid cloud | Free for personal use; paid Sync/Publish optional |
AppFlowy edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
AppFlowy
Strengths
- +Closest feel to Notion
- +Self-hostable backend
- +Active development
Trade-offs
- −Younger than Notion, some gaps
- −Self-hosting takes setup
Obsidian
Strengths
- +Your notes are plain local Markdown
- +Enormous plugin ecosystem
- +Fast and offline
Trade-offs
- −App is closed-source
- −Official sync is a paid add-on
More Notion head-to-heads
Facts verified 2026-07-04. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.