Open-source Heptabase alternatives

AFFiNE is an open-source workspace that combines writing, drawing and planning in a single app. Documents, an edgeless whiteboard and table views share the same blocks, so you can place rich text, sticky notes, embedded web pages, database views, linked pages, shapes and even slides anywhere on one canvas. It is presented as an alternative to Notion and Miro.

The project stresses local-first storage, meaning your data lives on your own device first, together with real-time collaboration. A multimodal AI assistant helps write reports, turn outlines into slides, summarize articles into mind maps and organize tasks. Under the hood it uses CRDTs for syncing and is built mostly in TypeScript and Rust, with Electron for the desktop app. It also supports Markdown, wiki and knowledge-base use, and presentations.

AFFiNE's license is listed as 'Other' on GitHub, so review it before commercial use. There is a live demo and documentation on the project site, a hosted version is available, and the app can also be self-hosted.

Ideon is a self-hosted visual workspace for projects. Instead of abstract folders and tabs, it uses spatial organization: you place blocks on a shared infinite canvas, and what sits close together is related, so a project's repositories, design notes and tasks can be seen on a single map.

Blocks can hold Markdown notes, images, links, files and to-dos, and live integrations embed repositories and issues from GitHub, GitLab, Gitea and Forgejo directly on the canvas. Teams can collaborate in real time, and a time travel feature shows historical snapshots of the workspace to trace past decisions. A hosted demo is available to try without setup.

Ideon runs with Docker and Docker Compose, using a PostgreSQL database and a persistent storage volume, and there is a one-click template for the Easypanel deployment platform. You set a secret key in an environment file before starting the stack and open the dashboard on port 3000. It is written in TypeScript and licensed under AGPL-3.0.

Neurite is an open-source mind-mapping and note-taking workspace that arranges ideas as nodes in a fractal, zoomable graph. Nodes can hold text, images, videos, code and AI agents, and the interface combines a physics simulation of the graph with an underlying fractal structure. It is aimed at people who want a spatial, exploratory way to organize notes, web links and AI-assisted thinking rather than a linear document tree.

The README covers synchronized knowledge management, a multi-agent chat interface called FractalGPT, a desktop edition and a neural API. The project also describes using the workspace for browsing the web and building graphs of AI agents. A desktop version is available as an Electron build, and the README warns that the interface contains flashing lights and colors that may affect people with photosensitive epilepsy.

Neurite is written in JavaScript, licensed under MIT, and described as in active development. It can be used through its website, and the repository publishes demo videos and a gallery for getting started. Because it is experimental, expect a visually distinctive tool rather than a conventional notes app.

DeepNotes is an open-source note-taking tool built around an infinite canvas rather than a linear document. Pages can be nested to any depth, so ideas can be explored in detail without crowding a single surface, and notes are protected with end-to-end encryption.

Users can create groups to collaborate in realtime, organize notes in whatever structure suits them, and rely on what the project calls lifelong storage. The codebase is TypeScript, using Vue and the Quasar framework, Yjs for collaboration, Tiptap for rich text, and KeyDB or Redis for shared memory and communication.

According to its development commands, the same code can be run as a single-page app, a server-side rendered app, an Electron desktop app, or Android and iOS builds. DeepNotes is released under AGPL-3.0, and a hosted version is available at deepnotes.app.

Revezone is a lightweight, graphic-centric productivity tool aimed at people building a personal knowledge base, often described as a second brain. It is local-first, meaning notes and boards are stored in the browser or on the local machine rather than requiring a cloud account, and it is currently in public beta.

It combines whiteboard functions based on both Excalidraw and Tldraw with a WYSIWYG, Notion-like note editor that supports slash commands and Markdown syntax. Notes and boards can be organized into folders in a left sidebar, with flexible layout allowing users to sort directories and split the screen by dragging and dropping. The Excalidraw-based board also supports custom fonts and double-link connections to notes within the desktop app.

Revezone can be used online, with data stored in the browser, or as a downloadable desktop app with data stored locally. It is written in TypeScript and released under the AGPL-3.0 license. This repository contains only the basic functionality of the project, according to its README.