head to head · open source
flatnotes vs NoteDiscovery
flatnotes has 3,274 GitHub stars, 222 forks, 124 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. NoteDiscovery has 2,868 stars, 247 forks, 4 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. flatnotes leads on adoption by 14% (3,274 vs 2,868 stars). flatnotes is written in Vue under MIT; NoteDiscovery is written in JavaScript under MIT. flatnotes has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, NoteDiscovery 9%. NoteDiscovery was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (markdown, note, 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
| flatnotes | NoteDiscovery | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.3K | ★ 2.9K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | Vue | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-08-29 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 222 | ⑂ 247 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick flatnotes if
- You weight community size — 3.3K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Vue
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick NoteDiscovery if
- You want the NoteDiscovery feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and NoteDiscovery fits your workflow better
About flatnotes
A self hosted, database less note taking web app that utilises a flat folder of markdown files for storage. Log into the demo site and take a look around. Note: This site resets every 15 minutes. Contents Design Principle Features Getting Started Hosted Self Hosted Roadmap Contributing Sponsorship Thanks Design Principle flatnotes is designed to be a distraction free note taking app that puts your note content first. This means: A clean and simple user interface. No folders, notebooks or anything like that. Just all of your notes, backed by powerful search and tagging functionality. Quick access to a full text…
read the full flatnotes overview →
About NoteDiscovery
NoteDiscovery Your Self Hosted Knowledge Base What is NoteDiscovery? NoteDiscovery is a lightweight, self hosted note taking application that puts you in complete control of your knowledge base. Write, organize, and discover your notes with a beautiful, modern interface—all running on your own server. Write · Find · Discover 🎯 Who is it for? Privacy conscious users who want complete control over their data Developers who prefer markdown and local file storage Knowledge workers building a personal wiki or second brain Teams looking for a self hosted alternative to commercial apps Anyone who values simplicity…
read the full NoteDiscovery overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is flatnotes or NoteDiscovery more popular?
flatnotes has 3,274 GitHub stars and NoteDiscovery has 2,868. flatnotes has the larger community by that measure.
Are flatnotes and NoteDiscovery free?
Both are open source. flatnotes is licensed under MIT and NoteDiscovery under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between flatnotes and NoteDiscovery?
flatnotes is written in Vue and NoteDiscovery in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, flatnotes or NoteDiscovery?
Choose flatnotes if you want the larger community (3,274 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose NoteDiscovery if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.