head to head · open source
AppFlowy vs Justnote
AppFlowy has 78,112 GitHub stars, 6,160 forks, 1,030 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. Justnote has 67 stars, 6 forks, 16 open issues and last shipped 9 months ago. AppFlowy leads on adoption by 116,485% (78,112 vs 67 stars). AppFlowy is written in Dart under AGPL-3.0; Justnote is written in TypeScript under GPL-2.0. AppFlowy has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Justnote 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 | Justnote | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 78K | ★ 67 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Dart | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-28 | 2026-02-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.2K | ⑂ 6 |
| 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 Justnote if
- You want the Justnote feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Justnote 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 Justnote
Justnote Justnote is a privacy focused note taking app that you can use easily, take notes rapidly, and, importantly, truly own your account and data. 🎨 Features End to end encryption with the decryption key only you know Available on the web, Android, and iOS Nested lists (folders), pin to the top, tags, lock lists & notes, and dark mode 📸 Screenshots 🖇️ More Links Support FAQs Documentation Blog 🤖 Tech Stack Web: React, Redux, TailwindCSS, Stacks, CKEditor Mobile: React Native 💻 Run Locally Clone the project Go to the web or mobile directory Install dependencies Start the server ❤️ Feedback and…
read the full Justnote overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is AppFlowy or Justnote more popular?
AppFlowy has 78,112 GitHub stars and Justnote has 67. AppFlowy has the larger community by that measure.
Are AppFlowy and Justnote free?
Both are open source. AppFlowy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Justnote under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between AppFlowy and Justnote?
AppFlowy is written in Dart and Justnote 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 Justnote?
Choose AppFlowy if you want the larger community (78,112 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Justnote if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.