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6 self-hosted options

Open-source alternatives to Obsidian

The best open-source alternatives to Obsidian are SiYuan, Joplin and TriliumNext Notes.

About Obsidian: A local-first Markdown knowledge base with linked notes and plugins.

Every option below is free to self-host and ranked by GitHub stars, so you can move off Obsidian without giving up the features you rely on.

Top picks

  1. Rank 1:

    SiYuan

    siyuan-note/siyuan

    A privacy-first personal knowledge management software, written in typescript and golang.

    Wikis & Knowledge BasesTypeScriptDocker
  2. Rank 2:

    Joplin

    laurent22/joplin

    Note taking application with markdown editor and encryption support for mobile and desktop platforms. Runs client-side and syncs through a self hosted Nextcloud instance or similar (alternative to…

    Note-taking & EditorsTypeScript
  3. Rank 3:

    TriliumNext Notes

    TriliumNext/Trilium

    Cross-platform hierarchical note taking application with focus on building large personal knowledge bases (fork of Trilium Notes).

    Note-taking & EditorsTypeScriptDocker

Why switch

Why teams move off Obsidian

Self-hosting is not only about saving money. These are the reasons people make the switch.

  • Own your data

    Your data lives on a server you control, not on Obsidian's infrastructure. No surprise policy changes and no lock-in.

  • No per-seat pricing

    Open-source alternatives to Obsidian are free to run for as many users as your server can handle. A small VPS often costs less than a single subscription.

  • Customize and extend

    Read the code, add plugins, connect it to your own tools and automate it through open APIs. When you need a feature, you can build it or fund it.

Full ranking

All 6 Obsidian alternatives

Ranked by GitHub stars. Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.

  1. 1

    SiYuan

    A privacy-first personal knowledge management software, written in typescript and golang.

  2. 2

    Joplin

    Note taking application with markdown editor and encryption support for mobile and desktop platforms. Runs client-side and syncs through a self hosted Nextcloud instance or similar (alternative to…

  3. 3

    TriliumNext Notes

    Cross-platform hierarchical note taking application with focus on building large personal knowledge bases (fork of Trilium Notes).

  4. 4

    SilverBullet

    Note-taking application optimized for people with a hacker mindset.

  5. 5

    Logseq

    Privacy-first, local-first outliner and knowledge graph.

  6. 6

    flatnotes

    Database-less note-taking web app that utilises a flat folder of markdown files for storage.

FAQ

Obsidian alternatives: FAQ

Still curious? Email info@appsgit.com.

What is the best open-source alternative to Obsidian?

SiYuan is the most popular open-source alternative to Obsidian, with 46,636 GitHub stars. Joplin and TriliumNext Notes are also strong choices. Compare features, license and recent activity to find the best fit for your team.

Is there a free alternative to Obsidian?

Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can run a Obsidian replacement without per-user fees. You only pay for the server, and a small VPS is usually enough for personal use or a small team.

Can I self-host an alternative to Obsidian?

Yes. SiYuan, TriliumNext Notes and SilverBullet ship a Docker image, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose in a few minutes. Your data then stays on hardware you control.

How do I migrate from Obsidian?

Start by exporting your data from Obsidian, then check the import options of the app you pick, since many projects ship importers for popular formats. Run both side by side for a week before you switch so nothing is lost.