Files.md vs Rowboat

Comparing two open source alternatives to Notion and Obsidian . 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.

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Rowboat

Apache-2.0

Open-source desktop AI coworker with a living knowledge graph, built-in email, browser, meeting notes, and code mode.

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Side-by-side comparison

	Files.md	Rowboat
License	MIT	Apache-2.0
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	4,105	17,338
Forks	212	1,720
Open Issues	6	159
Last Commit	Jul 29, 2026	Aug 20, 2026
First Released	May 23, 2023	Jan 13, 2025
Categories	Note Taking & Knowledge Management Tools	Note Taking & Knowledge Management Tools Automation Tools AI Coding Agents
Tags	#markdown #notes #local-first #pwa #wiki	#ai #ai agent #desktop-app

GitHub stars over time

Files.md

Rowboat17,338

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