Files.md vs Focalboard

Comparing two open source alternatives to Notion . Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.

Files.md

MIT

A simple local-first note-taking app for your plain .md files with Telegram bot access.

Visit Full details

Focalboard

AGPL-3.0

Focalboard is an open-source, self-hosted project management tool — a free alternative to Trello, Notion, and Asana for boards, docs, and team planning.

Visit Full details

Side-by-side comparison

	Files.md	Focalboard
License	MIT	AGPL-3.0
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	4,067	26,386
Forks	210	2,577
Open Issues	6	784
Last Commit	Jul 29, 2026	May 18, 2026
First Released	May 23, 2023	Oct 6, 2020
Categories	Note Taking & Knowledge Management Tools	Time & Task Management Tools Knowledge Management Tools Collaboration & Communication Tools
Tags	#markdown #notes #local-first #pwa #wiki	#kanban #project management #collaboration #docker #self hosted

Similar open source alternatives

AppFlowy

Open source Notion alternative that brings projects, wikis, and teams together with AI while keeping you in control of your data.

Alternative to:

Notion

HelixNotes

A fast, privacy-first local markdown note-taking app built with Tauri and SvelteKit. Your notes stay as plain .md files on your device.

Alternative to:

Obsidian

Jotty

Lightweight self-hosted app for managing personal file-based notes and checklists.

Alternative to:

Notion

Plane

Open-source project management platform — an alternative to Jira, Linear, Monday, and ClickUp.

Alternative to:

Jira

tududi

Self-hosted task management that combines personal todo lists with powerful project organization. Built for individuals and teams who value privacy and control.

Alternative to:

Todoist

Devlane

Self-hostable project management for dev teams: issues, cycles, modules, pages, and analytics. Go + React alternative to Jira and Linear.

Alternative to:

Jira