Focalboard vs Scratch

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

Scratch

MIT

A minimalist, offline-first markdown note-taking app for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Visit Full details

Side-by-side comparison

	Focalboard	Scratch
License	AGPL-3.0	MIT
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	26,205	1,109
Forks	2,544	102
Open Issues	779	40
Last Commit	May 18, 2026	May 5, 2026
First Released	Oct 6, 2020	Jan 31, 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 #note taking #offline #cross-platform #desktop-app

Similar open source alternatives

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

memos

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

Alternative to:

Obsidian

AFFiNE

Open-source knowledge base combining note-taking, whiteboard, and project planning in one workspace.

Alternative to:

Notion