Notion is one of the most popular productivity apps for teams and individuals alike. And, it looks like we could be getting a promising open-source alternative to it.
For those who don’t know or haven’t used Notion-it is an all-in-one productivity app to create/manage tasks, notes, projects, databases, and build wikis.
In other words, it gives you the freedom to organize your workflow and lets you do everything in a single place. Moreover, Notion also supports collaboration features to connect with your team or invite guests.
So, how about an open-source application that offers a similar UI and feature set?
That’s where AppFlowy comes in.
What is AppFlowy?
AppFlowy is very similar to Notion, except for one huge difference. It is 100% open-source.
Although still actively under development, it has managed to grab some attention. While it is fairly new, an open-source alternative for anything is exciting, to say the very least!
As per their GitHub page, here’s why the developers want to create an alternative to Notion:
We all know Notion has its limitations. These include weak data security and poor compatibility with mobile devices. Likewise, alternative collaborative workplace management tools also have their constraints.
So, they want their users to have the features of Notion but with better data security and a genuine native experience with a community-driven approach.
They’ve also made it clear that they do not want to compete with Notion in terms of features/design:
To be honest, we do not claim to outperform Notion in terms of functionality and design, at least for now. Besides, our priority doesn’t lie in more functionality at the moment. Instead, we would like to cultivate a community to democratize the knowledge and wheels of making complex workplace management tools, while enabling people and businesses to create beautiful things on their own by equipping them with a versatile toolbox of building blocks.
Sounds good to me!
Moving on, more about the app, AppFlowy:
AppFlowy’s first version for macOS was released a few days back. It is built using Flutter and Rust.
It aims to give users and teams total control of their data and customizations. They also state that they want to provide a native experience cross-platform, including mobile devices. In addition to that, it should enable you offline access to your workspace, unlike Notion.
Not to forget, communities can publish custom-made themes and templates for others to use, and you get to customize as much as you want. And users can make a direct impact on its development as well.
It will also support plugins to extend the functionality of the app. So, if you do not have any coding experience, you can still choose to enhance your workspace using these plugins. Moreover, the UI is quite similar to that of Notion, so if you plan to switch in the future, it should not feel like a drastic change.
Is it Only Available for macOS?
As of now, only macOS users can try out AppFlowy. However, a Linux and Windows client is also in development. You can keep an eye on its GitHub page or subscribe to the newsletter on the official website.
The developers are also looking to bring more visual changes and enhancements.
Of course, it is still in the early stages of development. So, you should not expect it to replace Notion just yet. Some of the features like drag/drop and offline mode are still in its roadmap.
You can visit the official website or the GitHub page to explore more about it and contribute to its development if you are interested.
Wrapping Up
AppFlowy could be a solid alternative to Notion with proper community support. The fact that it is free and open-source should give it a massive head start to attract individuals and teams to try it out.
I also wish it adds the support for Linux soon, knowing that it’s already in development.
What do you think about AppFlowy? Are you planning on trying it out?
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