Outline vs Notion: Self-Hosted Alternative
Quick Verdict
Outline is the best self-hosted Notion alternative for team documentation. It nails the core experience — clean Markdown editor, nested collections, real-time collaboration, and fast search. What it doesn’t have: Notion’s databases, formulas, Kanban boards, and calendar views. If you use Notion primarily as a wiki/docs tool, Outline is a solid replacement. If you rely on Notion’s database features, nothing self-hosted fully replaces it yet.
Overview
Notion is a cloud-hosted workspace that combines docs, databases, project management, and wikis. It’s one of the most popular productivity tools with 30+ million users. Pricing starts free for personal use, $10/user/month for teams.
Outline is a self-hosted knowledge base built for teams. It focuses on documentation — writing, organizing, and searching team knowledge. Built with Node.js and React, it uses PostgreSQL and Redis. Outline site
This comparison helps teams evaluate whether Outline can replace Notion for their documentation needs.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Outline | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Document editor | Markdown-first, block-based | Block-based, rich content |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes | Yes |
| Databases/spreadsheets | No | Yes (core feature) |
| Kanban boards | No | Yes |
| Calendar views | No | Yes |
| Formulas | No | Yes |
| Content structure | Collections → documents (nested) | Pages → sub-pages (nested) |
| Templates | Yes | Yes |
| Search | Full-text, fast | Full-text |
| API | REST | REST |
| Integrations | Slack, Zapier, webhooks | 100+ native integrations |
| SSO/OIDC | Required (no built-in auth) | Built-in + SSO on enterprise |
| Self-hosted | Yes | No |
| Offline access | No | Yes (desktop/mobile apps) |
| Mobile app | No (responsive web) | Yes (iOS, Android) |
| Import from | Markdown, Confluence, Notion | Many formats |
| Export to | Markdown, HTML, PDF | Markdown, CSV, PDF |
| Data ownership | Full (your server) | Notion’s servers |
| Pricing (self-hosted) | Free (BSL license) | N/A |
| Pricing (cloud) | N/A | Free-$10/user/month |
Where Outline Matches Notion
For documentation and knowledge management, Outline is genuinely competitive:
- Writing experience: Outline’s Markdown editor is clean and fast. Slash commands, inline formatting, code blocks, tables, embeds — the core writing experience is polished.
- Organization: Collections in Outline work like Notion’s pages. Nest documents as deep as you need. Drag and drop to reorganize.
- Collaboration: Real-time editing with presence indicators. Comments and @mentions. Change history with diff views.
- Search: Outline’s search is arguably faster than Notion’s for large knowledge bases — it uses PostgreSQL full-text search on your own server.
- Templates: Create document templates for recurring formats (meeting notes, RFCs, onboarding docs).
Where Notion Wins
- Databases: Notion’s databases are unique — linked, filtered, viewed as tables/boards/calendars. No self-hosted tool replicates this fully. If your workflow depends on Notion databases, there’s no direct replacement.
- All-in-one: Notion combines docs, tasks, databases, and project management. Outline is docs-only — you’d need separate tools for task management and databases.
- Native apps: Notion has polished desktop and mobile apps with offline support. Outline is web-only (responsive, but no offline).
- Integrations: Notion’s ecosystem is larger — 100+ integrations vs Outline’s handful.
Installation Complexity
Outline is moderately complex to deploy. You need:
- PostgreSQL database
- Redis
- An external OIDC/OAuth provider (Google, Slack, Azure AD, or a self-hosted option like Keycloak/Authentik) — Outline has no built-in username/password auth
- Proper
URLandSECRET_KEYconfiguration
The OIDC requirement catches people off guard. You can’t just deploy Outline and create an account — you must first set up an identity provider.
Notion is zero-setup — it’s a cloud service. Sign up and start writing.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Metric | Outline (Self-Hosted) | Notion (Cloud) |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | ~300-500 MB (app + PostgreSQL + Redis) | N/A (managed) |
| CPU | Low-moderate | N/A |
| Disk | Depends on content volume | N/A |
| Speed | Consistently fast (your server, your data) | Generally fast, occasional latency |
| Uptime | Your responsibility | 99.9% SLA (paid plans) |
Use Cases
Choose Outline If…
- Data privacy and ownership are non-negotiable
- You primarily use Notion as a wiki/docs tool (not databases)
- Your team already has an OIDC provider (Google Workspace, Okta, Keycloak)
- You want fast search without relying on a third-party service
- You’re on a budget (free vs $10/user/month)
Choose Notion If…
- You rely on Notion databases, Kanban boards, or calendar views
- You need native mobile and desktop apps with offline support
- You want an all-in-one workspace (docs + tasks + databases)
- You don’t want to manage infrastructure
- You need extensive third-party integrations
Migration: Notion to Outline
Outline has a built-in Notion importer:
- Export your Notion workspace (Markdown + CSV format)
- In Outline, go to Settings → Import
- Upload the Notion export ZIP
- Outline imports pages, preserving hierarchy and basic formatting
What migrates well: Page content, headings, lists, code blocks, images, nested page structure.
What doesn’t migrate: Notion databases, formulas, relations, rollups, board/calendar views. These need to be recreated manually or moved to a different tool.
Final Verdict
Outline is the best self-hosted Notion alternative for documentation. The writing and organization experience is close to Notion’s. Real-time collaboration works well. Search is fast. If your team uses Notion primarily as a knowledge base, Outline is a legitimate replacement that gives you full data ownership.
Notion remains unmatched for its database features. If you depend on Notion databases, Kanban views, or formula-driven workflows, no self-hosted tool fully replaces that today. Consider keeping Notion for project management while moving documentation to Outline.
FAQ
Can Outline fully replace Notion?
For documentation and wikis, yes. For databases, project management, and all-in-one workflows, no. Evaluate which Notion features you actually use before deciding.
Why does Outline require OIDC?
Outline was built for teams that already have identity management (Google Workspace, Okta, Azure AD). Adding basic auth would duplicate user management. For self-hosters without an existing IdP, deploy Keycloak or Authentik alongside Outline.
Is Outline free?
The self-hosted version is free under the BSL license (converts to Apache 2.0 after 3 years). There’s also a paid cloud version at getoutline.com.
What about AppFlowy or AFFiNE as alternatives?
Both aim to be open-source Notion alternatives with database features. AppFlowy and AFFiNE are worth watching but are less mature than Outline for team documentation. They’re better for personal use currently.
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