AppFlowy: The Notion Alternative That Actually Respects Your Privacy

So what is AppFlowy

AppFlowy is an open-source workspace for notes, docs, and knowledge bases. It's designed as a privacy-focused, local-first alternative to Notion. Your data lives in SQLite databases on your machine, not in someone else's cloud.

The key features:

• Local-first: Data stored in SQLite files on your machine
• Offline access: Works without internet - full functionality
• Notion-like UI: Familiar blocks, pages, databases
• Real-time collaboration: Share workspaces with others
• Database views: Tables, Kanban, calendar, gallery
• Open-source: Fully auditable code, community plugins
• Cross-platform: Desktop (Mac/Windows/Linux), mobile, web
• Encryptable sync: Optional cloud sync with end-to-end encryption

Why it's different from Notion:

• You own your data - SQLite files you can access directly
• Works offline - no internet needed for full functionality
• No vendor lock-in - exports to Markdown, CSV, JSON
• Privacy-focused - no account tracking, no telemetry
• Open development roadmap - community drives features

It's not a 1:1 Notion clone - some features are still missing. But for 90% of what I do, it works perfectly.

Getting AppFlowy running

Desktop app (recommended)

Simplest option - download the desktop app:

# Download from website
# https://appflowy.io/downloads

# Supports:
# - macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon)
# - Windows (portable version available)
# - Linux (AppImage, deb package)

Just install it like any other app. No account required - starts with a local workspace immediately.

Build from source

For developers or custom builds:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/AppFlowy-IO/AppFlowy.git
cd AppFlowy

# Install Rust and Flutter dependencies
# See docs for platform-specific setup

# Build and run
cargo run --bin appflowy --features dart_frb
# Flutter will download and build the frontend

Docker (for servers)

# Run AppFlowy in Docker
docker run -d \
  --name appflowy \
  -p 80:80 \
  -v appflowy_data:/app/data \
  appflowyio/appflowy:latest

Desktop app is the way to go for most users. Docker's good if you want to self-host a web version.

Setting up your workspace

First launch

When you first open AppFlowy, it creates a local workspace. You'll see:

# Sidebar navigation
- Workspace (root)
  - Pages
    - Getting Started (default page)
  - Settings

# Everything is local
# Data stored in:
# ~/Library/Application Support/AppFlowy/data/ (macOS)
# ~/.appflowy/data/ (Linux)
# C:\Users\\.appflowy\data\ (Windows)

Importing from Notion

AppFlowy has a built-in importer:

# 1. Click "Import Data" in sidebar
# 2. Select "Notion"
# 3. Two options:

# Option A: NotionExport (easier)
# - Use NotionExport tool to export your workspace
# - Upload the zip file to AppFlowy
# - Preserves pages, databases, formatting

# Option B: Manual import
# - Copy-paste content from Notion
# - AppFlowy tries to maintain structure
# - Better for smaller workspaces

My experience: The NotionExport approach worked surprisingly well. Pages, databases, even nested content came through correctly.

Organizing your workspace

AppFlowy uses a similar block-based system:

# Create pages with different content blocks
- Text / Headings
- To-do lists
- Bulleted / Numbered lists
- Toggle lists
- Code blocks (with syntax highlighting)
- Callouts
- Quotes
- Dividers
- Images / Files
- Databases (inline or full-page)
- Linked databases

Same mental model as Notion, so the transition is pretty painless.

Using databases

Creating a database

AppFlowy supports relational databases similar to Notion:

# Create new page → Choose "Database"

# Database properties:
- Text (short and long text fields)
- Number (integers, decimals)
- Select (single choice dropdown)
- Multi-select (multiple choice tags)
- Date (with time option)
- Checkbox (boolean)
- URL
- Email
- Phone
- Files
- Relations (link to other databases)

Database views

Different ways to visualize data:

Same database can have multiple views:

- Table (default spreadsheet view)
- Board (Kanban - great for task management)
- Calendar (shows dates on calendar)
- Gallery (grid view with image previews)

# Switch between views instantly
# Each view can have different filters and sorts

Relations between databases

Link databases together:

# Example: Projects database
# - Project Name (text)
# - Status (select: Planning, In Progress, Done)
# - Assignee (relation to People database)
# - Due Date (date)

# People database
# - Name (title)
# - Email (email)
# - Skills (multi-select)
# - Projects (relation back to Projects)

Relations work like foreign keys in SQL databases. Self-referencing too - great for hierarchical data.

What I use AppFlowy for

Personal knowledge base

All my notes, documentation, how-tos in one place:

# Quick capture (default page)
- Daily notes
- Meeting notes
- Random thoughts

# Organized with:
- Tags for categorization
- Links between related pages
- Full-text search across everything

Project planning

Track projects with databases and Kanban boards:

# Projects database with views:
- Table view: Overview of all projects
- Board view: Kanban by status
- Calendar view: Timeline of deadlines

# Each project page linked to database entry
- Notes, docs, tasks all in one place

Documentation

Technical docs, SOPs, runbooks:

# Code snippets with syntax highlighting
- Architecture diagrams (as images)
- Step-by-step procedures
- Environment variable documentation
- On-call runbooks

# All offline-accessible
- Search works without internet

CRM-lite

Track contacts and opportunities:

# People database
- Name, contact info
- Tags (client, lead, friend)
- Notes history
- Last contacted date

# Companies database
- Company details
- Associated contacts (relation)
- Deal stage (select)
- Revenue (number)

Content calendar

Plan and track content creation:

# Content database
- Title
- Type (blog, video, social)
- Status (Idea, Draft, Published)
- Publish Date (date)
- Platform (select)
- Link (URL)

# Calendar view shows publishing schedule
- Table view for sorting and filtering

Collaboration and sync

Real-time collaboration

Work with others in real-time:

# Share a page or entire workspace
# - Generate share link (if using AppFlowy Cloud)
# - Invite with email (if using self-hosted with auth)
# - Set permissions: View, Comment, Edit

# Real-time cursor showing
- See who's viewing
- See what they're working on
- Comments and mentions

AppFlowy Cloud sync

Optional cloud sync with encryption:

# Enable AppFlowy Cloud
# - Create account at cloud.appflowy.io
# - Login from desktop app
# - Choose workspace to sync

# Features:
- End-to-end encryption
- Selective sync (specific folders or files)
- Real-time sync across devices
- Conflict resolution

I use local-only. No need for cloud sync, and I like knowing my data never leaves my machines.

Self-hosted sync server

Run your own sync server:

# For full control, host your own sync server
# - More complex setup
# - Requires infrastructure
# - Complete data sovereignty

# Only needed for team environments
# Personal use: local-only is simpler

Advanced features

Templates

Create reusable page templates:

# Save page as template
# - Structure, blocks, content all saved
# - Use to quickly create similar pages
# - Great for repeated documents

# My templates:
- Meeting notes
- Project documentation
- SOP template
- Weekly review

Keyboard shortcuts

Speed up your workflow:

# Essential shortcuts:
Ctrl/Cmd + /    : Command palette
Ctrl/Cmd + K    : Inline code block
Ctrl/Cmd + B    : Bold
Ctrl/Cmd + I    : Italic
Ctrl/Cmd + U    : Underline
Ctrl/Cmd + S    : Save (auto-save anyway)
Tab            : Indent
Shift + Tab    : Outdent
@               : Mention person/page
#               : Create heading

Slash commands

Type @ for quick actions:

@ /        : Heading level 1
@ todo      : Toggle list
@ bullet    : Bullet list
@ date      : Date picker
@ time      : Time
@ code      : Code block
@ quote     : Quote block
@ divider   : Horizontal line
@ callout   : Callout box
@ table     : Table
@ database  : Inline database

Backlinks

See what links to current page:

# In sidebar: "Linked References"
# Shows all pages that link to current page
- Backlinks from text references
- Database relations
- Manual links

# Great for building knowledge networks
- See connections between notes

AppFlowy vs Notion vs others

AppFlowy is the sweet spot if you want Notion's interface with local-first, privacy-focused storage. Obsidian is more flexible but requires more setup. Notion is easiest but has privacy concerns.

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely. Switched my entire workspace from Notion to AppFlowy about 6 months ago. Haven't looked back.

The peace of mind knowing my data lives on my machine is huge. No worrying about service outages, company getting acquired, or terms changing. My data is under my control.

Offline access is a game changer. Work on planes, in coffee shops with bad WiFi, anywhere. Everything just works.

Import from Notion was easier than expected. Most of my content came through correctly. The 10% that didn't was easy enough to fix manually.

It's not perfect - some Notion features are still missing, and occasionally there are bugs. But the core functionality is solid, and it's actively being developed.

If you care about data privacy, want offline access, or just want to own your data, AppFlowy is the best Notion alternative I've found.

Links: appflowy.io | GitHub: github.com/AppFlowy-IO/AppFlowy | Docs: docs.appflowy.io