Nodum vs AppFlowy
An AppFlowy alternative for linked notes instead of databases
Nodum is an alternative to AppFlowy for people whose work is linked notes rather than structured databases. AppFlowy is an AGPL-licensed, local-first Notion alternative built in Rust and Flutter, with pages, boards and grids. Nodum is MIT licensed, web-native, and built around markdown files, wikilinks, backlinks and a knowledge graph.
What AppFlowy is
AppFlowy is an open-source Notion alternative under AGPL-3.0, built in Rust with a Flutter interface. It is local-first, with sync through AppFlowy Cloud or a self-hosted instance, and it reproduces Notion's pages-and-databases model more faithfully than anything else in open source.
Side by side
| Property | AppFlowy | Nodum |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | AGPL-3.0 — genuinely open source | MIT — the whole stack, frontend and backend |
| Hosting | Local-first, with AppFlowy Cloud or self-hosted sync | Hosted at nodum.md, or self-hosted with one Docker Compose command |
| Your notes are | A local database with sync; markdown export | Plain markdown files, exported as a folder-true zip whenever you ask |
| Linking | Page links and mentions | [[wikilinks]], [[path/Note]], [[Note|alias]], ![[embeds]] — Obsidian syntax |
| Graph | No knowledge graph | Global and local force-directed graph, GPU-rendered on WebGL2 |
| Pricing model | Free and open source; paid cloud plans | Free and open source; self-host at your own infrastructure cost |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, browser | Any modern browser, desktop and mobile; installable as a PWA |
| Getting out | Markdown and CSV | Vault zip of .md files, plus a REST API and an MCP server |
Where each one actually wins
The left-hand column is the honest part. If none of it applies to you, the switch is probably worth making; if several do, it probably is not.
What AppFlowy does better
- Databases: grids, boards and calendars over structured records, which Nodum does not have.
- The closest open-source feel to Notion for a team migrating off it.
- Local-first with a native app on every platform.
What Nodum does better
- Markdown files as the source of truth, with Obsidian-compatible import and export.
- Wikilinks, automatic backlinks with context, and unlinked mentions.
- A GPU-rendered knowledge graph.
- MIT rather than AGPL.
- An MCP server and an AI assistant on your own key.
So — switch, or stay?
Switch to Nodum if…
- You want a personal knowledge base, not a database workspace.
- You want to see what links to what.
Stay on AppFlowy if…
- You need Notion-style databases and views.
AppFlowy and Nodum: common questions
Which open-source Notion alternative should I choose?
For Notion's databases and team pages, AppFlowy and AFFiNE are the closest. For personal knowledge management — linked notes, backlinks, a graph and plain markdown files — Nodum is the closer fit, and it is MIT licensed and self-hostable with one command.
Before you move anything
Whatever you decide, run this once. It takes ten minutes and it is the difference between a migration and an incident.
- Export from AppFlowy first, and keep that export somewhere safe.
- Import a copy into a throwaway Nodum vault, not your main one.
- Open the graph and look for ghost nodes — those are links that did not resolve.
- Export the Nodum vault and diff it against what you put in.
- Only then delete anything.
Other comparisons
Every comparison is on the alternatives index, and the glossary defines the vocabulary these pages use.
Bring your AppFlowy notes with you.
Import a zip, look at the graph, export it again. Nothing about it is one-way.