head to head · open source
AppFlowy vs DeepNotes
AppFlowy has 78,418 GitHub stars, 6,206 forks, 1,030 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. DeepNotes has 608 stars, 56 forks, 14 open issues and last shipped 5 months ago. AppFlowy leads on adoption by 12,798% (78,418 vs 608 stars). AppFlowy is written in Dart under AGPL-3.0; DeepNotes is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. AppFlowy has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, DeepNotes 9%. AppFlowy was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (note-taking), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| AppFlowy | DeepNotes | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 78K | ★ 608 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-06-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.2K | ⑂ 56 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick AppFlowy if
- You weight community size — 78K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Dart
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick DeepNotes if
- You want the DeepNotes feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and DeepNotes fits your workflow better
About AppFlowy
AppFlowy ⭐️ The Open Source Alternative To Notion ⭐️ AppFlowy is the AI workspace where you achieve more without losing control of your data Website • Forum • Discord • Reddit • Twitter User Installation Download AppFlowy Desktop (macOS, Windows, and Linux) Other channels: FlatHub, Snapcraft, Sourceforge Available on App Store: iPhone Play Store: Android 10 or above; ARMv7 is not supported Self hosting AppFlowy Source Built With Flutter Rust Stay Up to Date Getting Started with development Please view the documentation for OS specific development instructions Roadmap AppFlowy Roadmap ReadMe AppFlowy Public…
read the full AppFlowy overview →
About DeepNotes
DeepNotes Website: DeepNotes is an open source, end to end encrypted infinite canvas tool with deep page nesting and realtime collaboration. Why DeepNotes? Infinite canvases: Free yourself from the big wall of text. Deep page nesting: Explore concepts in all their complexity. End to end encryption: Keep your notes well protected. Realtime collaboration: Create groups to collaborate with your team. Flexible note system: Organize your notes in whatever way you want. Lifelong storage: Never lose your notes ever again. Development (On Windows, use WSL or Git Bash to run the commands above) 1. Run pnpm run dev to…
read the full DeepNotes overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is AppFlowy or DeepNotes more popular?
AppFlowy has 78,418 GitHub stars and DeepNotes has 608. AppFlowy has the larger community by that measure.
Are AppFlowy and DeepNotes free?
Both are open source. AppFlowy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and DeepNotes under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between AppFlowy and DeepNotes?
AppFlowy is written in Dart and DeepNotes in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, AppFlowy or DeepNotes?
Choose AppFlowy if you want the larger community (78,418 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose DeepNotes if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.