What is the main difference between AppFlowy and Joplin?

AppFlowy and Joplin are both personal knowledge management (pkm) tools but differ in their approach, features, and target audience. Compare their GitHub stats, technology stack, and community adoption to make the best choice.

Which is better: AppFlowy or Joplin?

The choice between AppFlowy and Joplin depends on your specific needs, technical requirements, and team preferences. Both are quality open source solutions with active communities.

Can I migrate from AppFlowy to Joplin?

Migration between AppFlowy and Joplin is possible but requires careful planning. Consider data export/import capabilities, feature parity, and potential workflow changes.

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AppFlowy vs Joplin

Learn how AppFlowy and Joplin differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these personal knowledge management (pkm) tools is best for you.

AppFlowy

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

Visit AppFlowy Read more

75,883stars+1,636(+2.2%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
13 days ago
Repository age
5 years
Version
0.13.2
License
AGPL-3.0
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
appflowy-io/appflowy

Sponsor AppFlowy onko-fi.com

Joplin

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

Visit Joplin Read more

56,065stars+351(+0.6%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
9 hours ago
Repository age
10 years
Version
v3.6.16
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
laurent22/joplin

Sponsor Joplin ongithub.com

Detailed Comparison

Both AppFlowy and Joplin have their unique strengths and serve similar purposes effectively. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.

Comparable

Community & Popularity

Both tools have similar popularity levels, with AppFlowy having 75,883 stars and Joplin having 56,065 stars on GitHub. In terms of developer contributions, Joplin has 6,245 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

AppFlowy wins

Growth Momentum

AppFlowy is growing faster, adding 1,636 stars in the last 30 days (+2.2%) against adding 351 stars for Joplin (+0.6%). AppFlowy is both larger and pulling further ahead.

Comparable

Development Activity

Both projects show recent activity, with AppFlowy last updated 13 days ago and Joplin 9 hours ago.

Comparable

Technology Stack

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, Bash, Rust, C, Objective-C, Java, Swift, C++, Kotlin, MATLAB. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: AppFlowy uses Dart while Joplin leverages CSS, Typescript, JSX, Python, SCSS, Ruby.

Joplin wins

Project Maturity

Joplin has been in development longer, starting 10 years ago, compared to AppFlowy which began 5 years ago. This 4.5-year head start suggests Joplin may have more mature features and established processes.

AppFlowy wins

Licensing

AppFlowy is licensed under AGPL-3.0, while Joplin's license terms are not publicly specified.

Comparable

Use Cases & Features

Both tools serve similar use cases in Personal Knowledge Management (PKM). However, they also have distinct specializations: AppFlowy also focuses on Task Management, Collaborative Notes & Wikis while Joplin extends into Note-Taking, Secure & Encrypted Notes.

Comparable