flatnotes
Database-less note-taking web app that utilises a flat folder of markdown files for storage.
- Note-taking & Editors
- Vue
- MIT
- Docker
- Actively maintained
GitHub stats
- GitHub stars
- 3,239
- Forks
- 220
- Open issues
- 118
- Commits, last 12 months
- 10
- Last commit
- Aug 29, 2026
- Latest release
- v5.5.5Aug 29, 2026
- Created
- Aug 3, 2021
Data from the GitHub API, refreshed daily.
About flatnotes
Database-less note-taking web app that utilises a flat folder of markdown files for storage. flatnotes is open source under the MIT license and written mainly in Vue, so you can read the code, run it on your own hardware and keep full control of your data.
The project has 3,239 stars and 220 forks on GitHub, with 10 commits over the last year. It ships a Docker image, which makes it a good fit for a small VPS or a home server running Docker Compose.
Topics
- markdown
- note
- note-taking
- notes
- notes-app
- wiki
Open-source alternative to
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What is flatnotes?
flatnotes is a free, open-source app you can host on your own server, listed in our Note-taking & Editors category. Database-less note-taking web app that utilises a flat folder of markdown files for storage. The source code lives at github.com/dullage/flatnotes, where it has 3,239 stars.
Is flatnotes free and open source?
Yes. flatnotes is open-source software released under the MIT license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.
Can I run flatnotes with Docker?
Yes. flatnotes provides a Docker image, so you can run it on any Linux server with Docker and Docker Compose installed. The project README lists the image name and the environment variables to set.
What are the best alternatives to flatnotes?
Popular open-source alternatives to flatnotes include Excalidraw, AFFiNE and Memos. flatnotes itself is a self-hosted alternative to Obsidian and Google Keep.
Is flatnotes actively maintained?
The most recent commit to flatnotes was on Aug 29, 2026 with 10 commits in the past twelve months. The latest release is v5.5.5, published Aug 29, 2026. Check the open issues on GitHub to gauge how quickly maintainers respond.