Home /
Alternatives to Obsidian /
Obsidian vs AppFlowy
Obsidian vs AppFlowy
A side-by-side look at Obsidian (the paid SaaS) and AppFlowy (the open source alternative). Use this page to decide if the switch fits your team and workflow.
| Obsidian | AppFlowy | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Local-first markdown knowledge base (closed source, free for personal use). | Open source alternative to Notion, built in Rust and Flutter. |
| License | Proprietary SaaS | AGPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Free for personal use; Sync $5/month. | Free to self-host · optional paid hosted plan |
| Self-host option | No | Yes — difficulty 3/5 |
| Hosted cloud available | Yes (only option) | Yes |
| Desktop apps | Varies by product | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Mobile apps | Official apps typically available | iOS, Android |
Ad slot — between tables
Best for
If you want a Notion-style workspace instead of a note graph.
AppFlowy strengths
- Familiar Notion-style blocks and databases.
- Local-first desktop app for privacy.
- Active development and growing plugin ecosystem.
AppFlowy weaknesses
- Newer project — some Notion features still missing.
- Real-time collaboration is still maturing.
- Mobile apps lag behind desktop.
What's the catch with Obsidian?
- Not open source despite being free.
- Mobile app is limited compared to desktop.
- Sync requires paid add-on or custom setup.
Still unsure?
Check the full list of alternatives to Obsidian: see Obsidian alternatives, or learn more about AppFlowy on its project page.