flatnotes
Database-less note-taking web app that utilises a flat folder of markdown files for storage.
Maintained, but at a slower pace than the leaders in its category.
Commit activity more than 10% of tracked projects; popularity more than 59%. How this is calculated.
Commits, last 11 months
| Stars | 3.2k |
|---|---|
| Latest release | v5.5.5 · 29 Aug 2026 |
| Repo updated | 29 Aug 2026 |
| Licence | MIT |
| Built with | Docker |
Is flatnotes actively maintained?
Development is ongoing. The repository recorded 19 commits over the same window, and the last three months alone account for 9 of them.
The most recent tagged release, v5.5.5, shipped within the last month — a current, installable version exists today.
flatnotes ranks #18 of 22 tracked note-taking & editors projects. Several better-maintained options exist in the same category — they are listed below.
What flatnotes actually does
flatnotes is a web-based note-taking application designed for personal knowledge management. It stores all your notes as plain Markdown files directly within a designated folder, meaning there is no separate database engine required.
Best fit: It is well-suited for users who prefer keeping their notes in standard file formats that remain accessible outside the application itself.
Worth knowing: Because it relies entirely on a flat file structure without an underlying database, performance may degrade as the number of individual markdown files scales significantly.
Deployment notes
You will typically need to configure a Docker volume to persist your markdown directory outside the container, along with a reverse proxy to handle TLS termination.
Alternatives to flatnotes
Projects in the same categories, ordered by health score.
Cross-platform hierarchical note taking application with focus on building large personal knowledge bases (fork of Trilium Notes).
Note taking application with markdown editor and encryption support for mobile and desktop platforms. Runs client-side and syncs through a self hosted Nextcloud instance or similar (alternative to Evernote).
Knowledge base that works with a SQLite db file.
Collaborative note taking, wiki and documentation platform that scales.
Realtime collaborative markdown notes on all platforms, formerly known as CodiMD and HackMD CE.
Note-taking application optimized for people with a hacker mindset.