Self-Hosted Alternatives to Notion for Teams
Why Replace Notion?
Notion charges $10/user/month for the Plus plan and $18/user/month for Business. A team of 20 pays $2,400-$4,320/year. Beyond cost:
- Data ownership. Your company’s knowledge base lives on Notion’s servers. If Notion goes down, changes their API, or gets acquired, you’re at their mercy.
- Privacy. Notion can access your content. For companies handling sensitive information, this is a compliance risk.
- Performance. Notion’s Electron app and web interface can be sluggish with large workspaces. Self-hosted alternatives often run faster because data is served from your network.
- No lock-in. Notion’s export is limited. Getting your data out in a usable format requires workarounds. Self-hosted tools store data in standard formats (Markdown, PostgreSQL) that you control.
Best Alternatives
Outline — Closest to Notion
Outline is the closest self-hosted experience to Notion. Clean, modern interface with a block-based editor, slash commands, nested documents, and real-time collaboration. It’s Markdown-native, has a REST API, and integrates with Slack.
How it compares to Notion:
- Similar block editor with slash commands
- Nested document collections (like Notion pages)
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Markdown export/import
- Missing: Notion databases, Kanban views, formulas, relations
Setup complexity: Medium. Requires PostgreSQL, Redis, and S3-compatible storage (MinIO for self-hosting). OAuth required for authentication (no username/password).
[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Outline]
Wiki.js — Best for Technical Teams
Wiki.js offers a polished Markdown editor with live preview, Git-based content sync, and strong authentication options. While not a Notion clone, it covers the wiki/knowledge-base use case well. Git sync means your content is backed up in a repository automatically.
How it compares to Notion:
- Better Markdown editing experience
- Git sync for version control (Notion has version history but it’s limited)
- More authentication options (LDAP, SAML, OAuth)
- Missing: real-time collaboration, databases, Kanban views
Setup complexity: Low. Docker Compose with PostgreSQL. Straightforward.
[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Wiki.js]
BookStack — Best for Non-Technical Teams
BookStack uses a book-chapter-page organizational model that non-technical team members understand immediately. The WYSIWYG editor is reliable, permissions are granular, and the API enables automation.
How it compares to Notion:
- More structured organization (books > chapters > pages)
- Better for documentation that needs clear hierarchy
- Excellent search with full-text indexing
- Missing: block-based editing, databases, real-time collaboration
Setup complexity: Low. Docker Compose with MySQL. Well-documented.
[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host BookStack]
Docmost — Best Lightweight Option
Docmost is a newer Notion-like wiki with a block editor, real-time collaboration, and spaces for organization. It’s lightweight, actively developed, and feels modern. While less mature than the options above, it’s growing fast.
How it compares to Notion:
- Similar block-based editor
- Real-time collaboration
- Spaces for team organization
- Missing: databases, Kanban views, formulas (but most teams don’t use these)
Setup complexity: Low. Docker Compose with PostgreSQL.
[Read our full guide: How to Self-Host Docmost]
Migration Guide
Exporting from Notion
- Go to Settings & Members > Settings > Export all workspace content
- Choose Markdown & CSV format
- Download the ZIP file
Importing into Outline
Outline supports bulk Markdown import:
- Unzip the Notion export
- Use the Outline API or the admin panel to import Markdown files
- Review and fix any broken links (Notion internal links won’t map automatically)
Importing into Wiki.js
- Unzip the Notion export
- Upload Markdown files through the Wiki.js editor or use Git sync
- Organize pages into the correct hierarchy
- Fix internal links to use Wiki.js paths
Importing into BookStack
- Unzip the Notion export
- Create books and chapters matching your Notion structure
- Paste or import Markdown content into pages
- BookStack converts Markdown to its internal format
Cost Comparison
| Notion (20 users) | Self-Hosted | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $200-$360/month | $5-$20/month (VPS) |
| Annual cost | $2,400-$4,320/year | $60-$240/year |
| 3-year cost | $7,200-$12,960 | $180-$720 |
| Storage limit | 5 GB (Plus) / Unlimited (Business) | Your hardware |
| Privacy | Notion has access | Full control |
| Data export | Limited (Markdown + CSV) | Full database access |
What You Give Up
- Mobile apps. Notion’s mobile apps are polished. Outline has a PWA, Wiki.js and BookStack are mobile-responsive but don’t have native apps.
- Databases and Kanban. Notion’s database views (tables, boards, timelines, galleries) have no direct self-hosted equivalent. If your team relies heavily on Notion databases, you’ll need a separate tool for that (like Vikunja for tasks or NocoDB for databases).
- Integrations. Notion’s integration ecosystem is larger. Self-hosted tools have APIs but fewer pre-built integrations.
- Zero maintenance. Notion requires zero server maintenance. Self-hosting means you handle updates, backups, and uptime.
For most teams using Notion primarily as a knowledge base/wiki, these trade-offs are minor. If your team heavily uses Notion databases and Kanban views, consider keeping Notion for project management while moving documentation to a self-hosted wiki.
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