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Open Source Note Taking & Knowledge Management Tools

A curated collection of the best open source applications for taking notes and managing personal knowledge.

See also:Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)Note-TakingSecure & Encrypted NotesCollaborative Notes & Wikis
Favicon of Macro Docs

Macro Docs

Markdown docs wired into tasks, email, and agents

  • Stars

    4,396

  • Last commit

    10 hours ago

  • License

    AGPL-3.0
Collaborative markdown documents with real-time CRDT editing, AI agent cursors, mention linking, and built-in properties tied to your tasks, channels, and email.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of AppFlowy

AppFlowy

AI workspace for docs, projects, and wikis you control

  • Stars

    76,935

  • Last commit

    4 days ago

  • License

    AGPL-3.0
Open source collaborative workspace combining notes, databases, and AI with full data ownership, offline support, and self-hosting options.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Affine

Affine

Docs, whiteboards, and databases in one privacy-first workspace

  • Stars

    72,974

  • Last commit

    16 hours ago

  • License

    MIT
An open-source, local-first knowledge base that merges structured docs, infinite whiteboards, databases, and AI into a single workspace for teams and creators.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Memos

Memos

Self-hosted timeline for quick notes, logs, and snippets

  • Stars

    63,340

  • Last commit

    18 hours ago

  • License

    MIT
Memos is a self-hosted, open-source note-taking app built around a private timeline. Write in Markdown, skip the folder setup, and keep your data on your own server.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Joplin

Joplin

Encrypted note-taking that syncs across all your devices

  • Stars

    56,479

  • Last commit

    11 hours ago

  • License

    Unknown
Cross-platform note-taking app with end-to-end encryption, Markdown support, web clipping, and sync via Dropbox, OneDrive, or Joplin Cloud.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Obsidian
Obsidian
Favicon of Open-Notebook

Open-Notebook

AI
AI-powered research notebook with full privacy control

  • Stars

    39,499

  • Last commit

    5 days ago

  • License

    MIT
Combines AI summarization, podcast generation, and multi-format content ingestion for researchers and students who want to keep their data private.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of NotebookLM
NotebookLM
Favicon of SiYuan

SiYuan

Privacy-first knowledge management with block-level linking

  • Stars

    46,506

  • Last commit

    12 hours ago

  • License

    AGPL-3.0
Personal knowledge management system with WYSIWYG block editing, bidirectional links, spaced repetition flashcards, a relational database, and end-to-end encrypted sync.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Logseq

Logseq

Privacy-first knowledge base that connects your notes

  • Stars

    45,056

  • Last commit

    10 hours ago

  • License

    AGPL-3.0
Local-first, open-source knowledge management tool with bidirectional linking, outlines, flashcards, PDF annotations, and whiteboards for building a connected second brain.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Khoj

Khoj

AI
AI second brain for research, automation, and personal agents

  • Stars

    37,498

  • Last commit

    2 months ago

  • License

    AGPL-3.0
Self-hostable AI assistant that connects to your docs and the web, lets you build agents, schedule automations, and run research with verifiable citations.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Claude
Claude
Favicon of Outline

Outline

Fast, collaborative wiki for teams who need organized docs

  • Stars

    40,701

  • Last commit

    18 hours ago

  • License

    BUSL-1.1
Team knowledge base with real-time collaboration, AI-powered search, Slack integration, and self-hosting support for internal docs and wikis.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Tolaria

Tolaria

Local-first, Git-native personal knowledge base with AI

  • Stars

    19,897

  • Last commit

    18 hours ago

  • License

    AGPL-3.0
A free, open source note-taking app built on plain Markdown files, Git version control, and direct AI model integration. No account required.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Obsidian
Obsidian
Favicon of KeePassXC

KeePassXC

Cross-platform, secure password manager

  • Stars

    28,949

  • Last commit

    3 days ago

  • License

    GPL-3.0
KeePassXC is an open-source password manager that securely stores and manages sensitive information across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of LastPass
LastPass
Favicon of Docmost

Docmost

Self-hosted wiki with AI, compliance, and real-time editing

  • Stars

    21,792

  • Last commit

    4 days ago

  • License

    AGPL-3.0
Self-hosted wiki platform for enterprise teams with real-time collaboration, built-in AI, SSO, RBAC permissions, and compliance support for ITAR, FedRAMP, and GDPR.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of SurfSense

SurfSense

AI
Privacy-first knowledge base with any AI model you choose

  • Stars

    16,265

  • Last commit

    11 hours ago

  • License

    Apache-2.0
Self-hostable NotebookLM alternative that lets teams build searchable knowledge bases from diverse sources, with support for any LLM and no data limits.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Perplexity
Perplexity
Favicon of Notesnook

Notesnook

Zero-knowledge encrypted notes that sync across all devices

  • Stars

    14,639

  • Last commit

    15 hours ago

  • License

    GPL-3.0
End-to-end encrypted note-taking app with zero-knowledge architecture, cross-device sync, web clipper, and a self-hostable sync server.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Zotero

Zotero

Collect, organize, cite, and share research in one place

  • Stars

    15,394

  • Last commit

    10 hours ago

  • License

    Unknown
Reference manager that captures sources from the web, organizes them with tags and collections, and generates citations in 9,000+ styles for Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Mendeley
Mendeley
Favicon of Blinko

Blinko

AI-Powered Note Taking App

  • Stars

    11,042

  • Last commit

    1 month ago

  • License

    GPL-3.0
The next generation of open-source AI-powered card notes designed to help you quickly capture and organize inspiration so that ideas never run out.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Anarlog

Anarlog

AI
Private meeting notes, no bots, files you own

  • Stars

    9,395

  • Last commit

    13 hours ago

  • License

    MIT
Records system audio without joining your call, then turns rough notes into editable summaries. Audio, transcripts, and notes stay as local files.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Granola
Granola
Favicon of AnyType

AnyType

Private workspace for notes, tasks, and databases

  • Stars

    8,850

  • Last commit

    12 hours ago

  • License

    Unknown
A local-first, encrypted workspace for notes, tasks, databases, and chats. Your data stays on your device, syncs peer-to-peer, and never passes through a central server.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Silverbullet

Silverbullet

Programmable notes with queries, Lua scripting, and wiki links

  • Stars

    6,159

  • Last commit

    20 hours ago

  • License

    MIT
A self-hosted, browser-based note-taking system that turns plain Markdown pages into a queryable, scriptable knowledge base you control.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Standard Notes

Standard Notes

Secure, encrypted notes for your digital life

  • Stars

    6,634

  • Last commit

    2 days ago

  • License

    AGPL-3.0
Cross-platform note-taking app with end-to-end encryption, offline access, and powerful organization features for privacy-conscious users.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Obsidian
Obsidian
Favicon of Deta Surf

Deta Surf

Browser and notebook combined with local-first AI

  • Stars

    3,576

  • Last commit

    1 month ago

  • License

    Apache-2.0
A browser that doubles as a personal notebook, letting you research, summarize, and take notes on web pages, PDFs, and videos without switching apps.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of NotebookLM
NotebookLM
Favicon of Vrite

Vrite

Collaborative content creation for technical teams

  • Stars

    2,002

  • Last commit

    5 days ago

  • License

    AGPL-3.0
A powerful platform for technical writing, offering real-time collaboration, version control, and seamless integrations.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Mintlify
Mintlify
Favicon of XWiki

XWiki

Open-source knowledge management and collaboration platform

  • Stars

    1,314

  • Last commit

    14 hours ago

  • License

    LGPL-2.1
XWiki is a flexible, feature-rich wiki software that helps organizations structure and share knowledge efficiently.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Beaver Notes

Beaver Notes

Local-first notes app with no cloud, no AI, no tracking

  • Stars

    1,343

  • Last commit

    6 days ago

  • License

    MIT
A privacy-focused, offline-first note-taking app that stores everything on your device, with Markdown, note linking, file attachments, LaTeX math, and bring-your-own sync.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of Zen

Zen

Clean, distraction-free note-taking with local storage

  • Stars

    1,178

  • Last commit

    15 hours ago

  • License

    AGPL-3.0
Minimal note-taking app storing Markdown notes in local SQLite database. Features instant search, flexible tagging, keyboard shortcuts, and offline access.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of OneNote
OneNote
Favicon of Darkwrite

Darkwrite

Distraction-free note-taking with powerful features

  • Stars

    316

  • Last commit

    2 days ago

  • License

    AGPL-3.0
A customizable, offline-first note editor that lets you format text, create lists, add images, and export to HTML - all while maintaining your privacy.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of OpenNotas

OpenNotas

Fast, secure, and free personal note-taking app

  • Stars

    179

  • Last commit

    2 months ago

  • License

    Unknown
OpenNotas is a multi-platform, end-to-end encrypted note-taking app that offers simplicity, synchronization, and offline functionality.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Obsidian
Obsidian
Favicon of Justnote

Justnote

Privacy-focused note-taking made simple and fast

  • Stars

    68

  • Last commit

    8 months ago

  • License

    GPL-2.0
Justnote is a secure note-taking app that lets you easily create and sync notes across devices while maintaining full control of your data.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Notion
Notion
Favicon of itsnotes

itsnotes

Self-hosted sticky notes with better organization

  • Stars

    31

  • Last commit

    22 days ago

  • License

    MIT
A self-hosted, open-source note-taking app that keeps the Google Keep sticky-note feel while adding folders, timelines, list views, and import support.

Open Source Alternative to:

Favicon of Google Keep
Google Keep
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