# flatnotes

> Self-hosted notes web app on a flat folder of Markdown files

flatnotes is a free, open-source note-taking web app that you host yourself. It stores every note as a Markdown file in a single flat folder, with no database, folders or notebooks, and relies on full-text search and hashtags to find things. The interface works on phones and desktops in a browser, with raw and WYSIWYG editing modes and a REST API.

- **Category:** Note-Taking Apps
- **Made by:** Adam Dullage
- **Website:** https://github.com/dullage/flatnotes
- **Runs on:** Web
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 9, 2026

## Pricing

flatnotes is free to use.

- **Pricing model:** Free
- **Free plan:** The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license, with no paid edition. You supply the server, and the developer accepts sponsorship through GitHub Sponsors.
- **Free trial:** None listed.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| flatnotes | $0 | The full app, self-hosted with Docker. The README also points to PikaPods, a third-party host, for a hosted instance. |

Read from https://github.com/dullage/flatnotes on Oct 9, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with flatnotes before buying.

## Key features

- **Flat folder of Markdown files:** Notes are .md files in one folder with no database. Files can be added, edited or deleted outside the app while it runs, since only the search index is cached.
- **Raw and WYSIWYG editing:** The editor switches between raw Markdown and a WYSIWYG mode. Images can be inserted from the toolbar, dragged in or pasted, and are saved to an attachments folder.
- **Full-text search:** Search opens from anywhere with the / key and supports AND and OR, quoted phrases, wildcards and field prefixes for title, content, tags and last-modified date.
- **Tags and wikilinks:** A hashtag anywhere in a note tags it, and tags are indexed separately for searching. Double-bracket wikilinks link to other notes by name.
- **Authentication modes:** Four modes are offered: none, read-only, username and password, and password plus a time-based one-time code. Read-only suits a blog or documentation site.
- **REST API:** A RESTful API is included, with its documentation served at the /docs endpoint of each instance.

## Good for

- Self-hosters who want a simple notes app backed by plain Markdown files
- People who would sooner search and tag than file notes in folders
- Serving a folder of notes read-only as a small blog or docs site

## Worth knowing

- It has to be self-hosted, with Docker as the recommended route, or run on a third-party host such as PikaPods.
- There are no folders or notebooks by design, and the developer says new features are deliberately limited.
- It is a mobile-responsive web interface only; the project lists no native desktop or mobile apps.
- Uploaded attachments cannot be viewed or deleted from inside the app and are not removed when their note is deleted.

## Works with

Docker, PikaPods

**Tags:** Open source, Self-hostable, Notes, Markdown, Linked notes, Public API

## Alternatives

- [Memos](https://toolgpa.com/tools/memos): Open-source, self-hosted timeline of short Markdown notes. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/flatnotes-vs-memos)
- [SilverBullet](https://toolgpa.com/tools/silverbullet): Scriptable Markdown knowledge base, self-hosted or on desktop. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/flatnotes-vs-silverbullet)
- [NoteDiscovery](https://toolgpa.com/tools/notediscovery): Self-hosted Markdown knowledge base that runs in the browser. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/flatnotes-vs-notediscovery)
- [Jotty](https://toolgpa.com/tools/jotty): Self-hosted notes and checklists stored as Markdown files. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/flatnotes-vs-jotty)
- [Trilium Notes](https://toolgpa.com/tools/trilium-notes): Free, open-source hierarchical notes for a personal knowledge base. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/flatnotes-vs-trilium-notes)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 9, 2026:

- https://github.com/dullage/flatnotes
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dullage/flatnotes/develop/README.md
- https://github.com/dullage/flatnotes/wiki
- https://github.com/dullage/flatnotes/wiki/Advanced-Searching
- https://github.com/dullage/flatnotes/wiki/Image-Support

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/flatnotes
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).