head to head · open source
AppFlowy vs mindforger
AppFlowy has 78,112 GitHub stars, 6,160 forks, 1,030 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. mindforger has 2,724 stars, 173 forks, 625 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. AppFlowy leads on adoption by 2,768% (78,112 vs 2,724 stars). AppFlowy is written in Dart under AGPL-3.0; mindforger is written in C++ under GPL-2.0. AppFlowy has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, mindforger 6%. mindforger was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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 | mindforger | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 78K | ★ 2.7K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Dart | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-10-28 | 2026-10-28 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.2K | ⑂ 173 |
| 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 mindforger if
- You want the mindforger feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and mindforger 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 mindforger
Thinking Notebook & Markdown Editor Are you drowning in information , but starving for knowledge ? Where do you keep your private remarks like ideas, personal plans, gift tips, how tos, dreams, business vision, finance strategy, auto coaching notes? Loads of documents, sketches and remarks spread around the file system, cloud, web and Post it notes? Are you afraid of your knowledge privacy ? Are you able to find them once you create them? Do you know how are they mutually related when you read or write them? No? Thinking Notebook MindForger is human mind inspired personal knowledge management tool. Markdown…
read the full mindforger overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is AppFlowy or mindforger more popular?
AppFlowy has 78,112 GitHub stars and mindforger has 2,724. AppFlowy has the larger community by that measure.
Are AppFlowy and mindforger free?
Both are open source. AppFlowy is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and mindforger under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between AppFlowy and mindforger?
AppFlowy is written in Dart and mindforger in C++. 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 mindforger?
Choose AppFlowy if you want the larger community (78,112 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose mindforger if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.