Which one feels closest to Notion?

AppFlowy and AFFiNE are closest to Notion-style block editing and collaboration, and AFFiNE additionally makes an infinite whiteboard and a document two views of the same content. Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin and SiYuan lean more toward personal knowledge management and local data.

Which alternatives are best offline?

Obsidian, Joplin, Logseq, Zettlr, Zim, SiYuan and Anytype all fit offline and local-file workflows better. SiYuan stores data as local Markdown files and Anytype syncs peer-to-peer with end-to-end encryption, so neither needs a central server.

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Free Software Collection

Free Notion Alternatives

Notion is powerful, but not ideal for everyone. Offline use, local files, data portability, open-source control and lightweight writing are common reasons to look for alternatives.

14 curated recommendations

Selection Criteria

Free features can support real note, knowledge base or collaboration workflows.
Exportable, local-first or open-source tools are prioritized.
Personal notes, team collaboration and Markdown writing are all covered.

Recommended Tools

Free

Obsidian

A local-first knowledge base — your notes stay yours

No Ads
No Tracking
Offline
No Sign-up

Free

Logseq

An open-source outliner with bidirectional links to grow your knowledge graph

Open Source
No Ads
No Tracking
Offline

Free

Joplin

Open-source, offline-first note-taking with end-to-end encrypted sync

Open Source
No Ads
No Tracking
Offline

Free tier

AppFlowy

The open-source Notion alternative that keeps your data in your hands

Open Source
No Ads
Offline
No Sign-up

Free

AFFiNE

Docs, whiteboard and tables as three views of the same data

Open Source
No Ads
No Tracking
Offline

Free tier

SiYuan

Block-level bidirectional linking, stored as Markdown files on your disk

Open Source
No Ads
No Tracking
Offline

Free

Anytype

A local-first, peer-to-peer, end-to-end encrypted knowledge base

No Ads
No Tracking
Offline
Cross-platform

Free

Trilium Notes

A hierarchical note app built for large personal knowledge bases

Open Source
No Ads
No Tracking
Offline

Free

Zettlr

A one-stop Markdown workbench for researchers and writers

Open Source
No Ads
No Tracking
Offline

Free

Zim Desktop Wiki

A plain-text desktop wiki for managing notes the way you use a wiki

Open Source
No Ads
No Tracking
Offline

✦ Ours

Free

SoloMD

A free, open-source Markdown editor — one file, one window, just write

Open Source
No Tracking
Offline
Cross-platform

Recommended Skills & MCP

🔌 MCP Server

Obsidian MCP

Let AI read and write your Obsidian vault

Works with: Claude · Claude Code · Cursor

Open Source
No Ads
No Tracking

🔌 MCP Server

Filesystem MCP

Let AI securely read and write local files

Works with: Claude · Claude Code · Cursor

Open Source
No Ads
No Tracking

🔌 MCP Server

Notion MCP

Let AI read and write your Notion pages and databases

Works with: Claude · Claude Code · Cursor

Open Source
No Ads
No Tracking

FAQ

Which one feels closest to Notion?: AppFlowy and AFFiNE are closest to Notion-style block editing and collaboration, and AFFiNE additionally makes an infinite whiteboard and a document two views of the same content. Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin and SiYuan lean more toward personal knowledge management and local data.
Which alternatives are best offline?: Obsidian, Joplin, Logseq, Zettlr, Zim, SiYuan and Anytype all fit offline and local-file workflows better. SiYuan stores data as local Markdown files and Anytype syncs peer-to-peer with end-to-end encryption, so neither needs a central server.