AppFlowy: an open-source alternative to Notion

https://github.com/AppFlowy-IO/appflowy

by ericyan • 5 years ago

149 21 5 years ago

github.com

polote• 5 years ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29234805 14 days ago

ckluis• 5 years ago

Missed opportunity… their roadmap is on trello instead of being self-hosted on appflowy...

pps• 5 years ago

Isn't this app desktop only?

rickstanley• 5 years ago

Yes it is.

rektide• 5 years ago

"Deep Dive Into Roam's Data Structure"[1] really got me very thirsty for having good core underpinning concepts/ideas of what data is, how it's held in the system.

I was unaware that Roam is built atop Datomic. Just hearing that set off a huge light bulb, that there's some very competent information-engineering underneath Roam, that it builds atop. I'd heard some very sunny statements about Roam from engineers I respect a lot, but I've only briefly played around in Roam, and have been unsure why people would feel strongly about it, would say it stands out so starkly against what I felt like were competing personal information archives like Obsidian.

Anyhow, I'm even less well versed in the similar-but-different realm of what Notion is, what Notion is for. Another wiki-ish like substrate for work, collaboration, data, information; adjacent, but different. More collaboration oriented. But reading this in-depth discussion on Roam, it underscored to me that the application layer, the look and feel, the product: it's kind of the tip of the iceberg. What lies beneath, the engine of information: that is definitional, is core. Bias beware, this totally validates what I want to hear, which is that software's highest & most principal role is to enable deep use/creation, empower further realms of through, enable creation of better purchases/views/perspectives. Applications all feel done & baked, but I crave software that embraces an unlimited, that is just a starting point, and this review of Roam's data structures whetted this dormant hope, seemed like a strong indicator that we ought be aiming software much higher than we have been.

It suggests strongly to me that the underlying object/entity architectures of software are of key importance, not just as how programmers write code, but as vital concepts to the users of the system. And it re-invigorates my hope that the big solid line between the two classes eventually starts to dissolve some, become hazier.

[1] https://www.zsolt.blog/2021/01/Roam-Data-Structure-Query.htm... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29295532 (8 days, 4 comments)

[2]

chrisweekly2• 5 years ago

Right on. Loved your comment. Share most of your perspective on it. Have no regrets at having paid $500 as a Roam "true believer".

But.

There's room for -- no, stronger than that, there's a need for -- variations on a theme and an ecosystem of tools for thought that learn from each other and contribute to the rising tide that lifts all boats.

Athens is basically Roam only OSS; Roam's creator deigned to bless it as a "vassal app", but I wouldn't bet against its staying power based on the power of open source. And Obsidian (hands-down my favorite, and presumptive long-term foundation for my PKM system) offers a profound value proposition: start with offline, local, markdown files on the filesystem and OS of your choice, and layer in plugins to implement the best features of other tools at your discretion.

fuddle• 5 years ago

Rust + Flutter, a good combo! It would be good to see an online demo.

simonw2• 5 years ago

Would be great if we could try this out without having to compile it - since it's Rust hopefully providing compiled builds for different platforms (maybe via GitHub Actions compiling and attaching them as GitHub releases) would be feasible.

Signing binaries on macOS is a bit of a pain though, but they could always distribute those preview binaries with a warning and instructions on how to disable that security check.

louis-lau2• 5 years ago

While the README doesn't mention it, there are compiled releases on github.

simonw2• 5 years ago

Neat! I'd missed those.

louis-lau2• 5 years ago

Unfortunately a desktop note taking app without any multi-user support does not make a notion alternative. I understand it is aiming to be that in the future, but calling it one now seems odd.

It does not support slash commands.

haswell• 5 years ago

Your point is valid and well understood, but only applies for some user types.

As a person who uses Notion primarily for myself, lack of multi-user support doesn't impact me, and does truly make this a potential alternative.

Products are sold based on what they hope to be, often not on what they are today. The merits of this approach can be debated, but I get why it's billed as such in the meantime.

dctoedt• 5 years ago

Workflowy might legitimately object to the name Appflowy on trademark grounds — there's definitely the potential for confusion there as to origin, sponsorship, or endorsement. (OTOH, the sophistication of potential customers and the care likely to be taken in choosing an app like this could weigh against a likelihood of confusion.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark_infringement

tomcam• 5 years ago

I was thinking maybe CockroachFlowy

tommoor2• 5 years ago

We don't really advertise ourselves as a Notion alternative, however Outline probably fulfills this promise a little better and can be self hosted + collaborative editing, translated into 12+ languages and has 5 years of active development.

https://github.com/outline/outline

chrisweekly2• 5 years ago

PSA: for those of us who have moved to Obsidian, its Outliner plugin does a fantastic job of providing the central AppFlowy UX atop the myriad benefits of Obsidian's approach to local markdown files etc.

alloutblitz• 5 years ago

Not an open source license

1_player• 5 years ago

So? They said "Notion alternative", and Notion isn't open-source either.

yessirwhatever• 5 years ago

The fact that you have a gif asking (and showing?!) people to star your project is so infuriating.

Also, this is being posted quite too often to HN. Not sure if same people or different people.

AppFlowy: an open-source alternative to Notion

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