Jotty vs Rowboat

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

Jotty

AGPL-3.0

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

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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

	Jotty	Rowboat
License	AGPL-3.0	Apache-2.0
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	1,985	17,338
Forks	113	1,720
Open Issues	70	159
Last Commit	Aug 13, 2026	Aug 20, 2026
First Released	Aug 11, 2025	Jan 13, 2025
Categories	Note Taking & Knowledge Management Tools	Note Taking & Knowledge Management Tools Automation Tools AI Coding Agents
Tags	#note taking #self hosted #homelab	#ai #ai agent #desktop-app

GitHub stars over time

Jotty1,985

Rowboat

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