Focalboard vs HelixNotes

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

Focalboard

AGPL-3.0

Open-source, self-hosted project management tool — a free alternative to Trello, Notion, and Asana.

Visit Full details

HelixNotes

AGPL-3.0

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

Visit Full details

Side-by-side comparison

	Focalboard	HelixNotes
License	AGPL-3.0	AGPL-3.0
Self-hostable	Yes	No
GitHub Stars	26,270	135
Forks	2,556	11
Open Issues	783	49
Last Commit	May 18, 2026	Jul 3, 2026
First Released	Oct 6, 2020	Feb 9, 2026
Categories	Time & Task Management Tools Knowledge Management Tools Collaboration & Communication Tools	Note Taking & Knowledge Management Tools
Tags	#kanban #project management #collaboration #docker #self hosted	#markdown #notes #knowledge-management #productivity #privacy

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

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

Outline

The fastest growing-team knowledge base — beautiful, realtime collaborative, feature packed, and markdown compatible Notion and Confluence alternative.

Alternative to:

Notion

memos

A modern, open-source, self-hosted knowledge management and note-taking platform designed for privacy-conscious users and organizations.

Alternative to:

Obsidian