Self-Hosted Notion Alternatives
No single self-hosted app copies everything Notion does. The good news is that most people only use one part of it. Pick by that part. Last checked: .
Pick by what you use it for
- A team wiki or knowledge base: Outline or BookStack.
- Personal notes: Obsidian or Joplin with sync, or a lightweight notes app.
- Notion-style pages, databases and whiteboards in one: AFFiNE or similar newer tools. These are the closest feel, and also the youngest.
Side by side
| Outline | BookStack | AFFiNE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Style | Clean, wiki with nested docs | Books, chapters and pages | All-in-one docs, whiteboard, databases |
| Best for | Team documentation | Structured manuals and docs | Replacing Notion for personal or small-team use |
| Moving parts | App, database, cache, and a login provider or storage setup | App plus a database | App plus database and cache |
| Setup effort | Higher: needs a sign-in method configured | Low to moderate | Moderate; fast-changing project |
| Maturity | Established | Established | Newer; expect changes |
Features, licenses and hosting requirements for these projects change quickly. Check each project's current docs before committing, especially for self-hosting terms.
What size VPS?
These apps are lighter than photo or file suites but heavier than a password manager, because each brings a database. Count roughly 0.5 to 1 GB each when idle, and use the size calculator to total it against everything else you run. A small plan handles one of them next to a few light apps.
Before you migrate
- Export from Notion first and check how your pages come out. Databases and relations rarely carry over perfectly.
- Decide who needs access. A team wiki needs sign-in and permissions sorted out on day one.
- Back it up. Your notes are the point. Use restic, with database dumps included.
For a reverse proxy and HTTPS in front of any of these, see Docker and Caddy. Not sure a self-hosted setup is worth it? Start with something smaller from what to self-host first.