flatnotes: Take Notes in Self-Hosted Markdown Files

Overview

flatnotes is a web app for writing and finding notes stored as Markdown files in a flat folder. Its database-less approach keeps notes portable: you can edit or move the files outside the app, without relying on a proprietary format or note database.

It is a fit for people who want a simple, self-hosted writing space with full-text search and links between notes, rather than notebooks or a complex knowledge-management system. The app can be run with Docker and offers several authentication options.

Key Features

• Edit Markdown in raw or WYSIWYG mode.
• Find notes with full-text search and tagging.
• Link notes using wikilinks such as [[My Other Note]].
• Use a responsive interface with light and dark themes.
• Configure a customisable home page.
• Choose among no authentication, read-only access, username and password, or two-factor authentication.
• Access a REST API.
• Keep notes as regular Markdown files, editable outside the app while it is running.

Use Cases

• Self-hosters who want a personal notes app without maintaining a notes database.
• Writers who want Markdown files they can back up, edit, or move using other tools.
• Individuals collecting reference notes who need full-text search and tags instead of folder-based organisation.
• Users building a lightweight personal wiki with links between notes.

Project Facts

• Language: Vue
• License: MIT
• Stars: 3.2k
• Forks: 218
• Topics: markdown, note, note-taking, notes, notes-app, wiki
• Archived: No

Getting Started

The README recommends Docker for self-hosting. For example:

docker run -d \
  -e "PUID=1000" \
  -e "PGID=1000" \
  -e "FLATNOTES_AUTH_TYPE=password" \
  -e "FLATNOTES_USERNAME=user" \
  -e "FLATNOTES_PASSWORD=changeMe!" \
  -e "FLATNOTES_SECRET_KEY=aLongRandomSeriesOfCharacters" \
  -v "$(pwd)/data:/data" \
  -p "8080:8080" \
  dullage/flatnotes:latest

Use your own password and secret key for a real deployment. See the repository README and configuration guide for setup options.

Alternatives

• siyuan: SiYuan organizes notes as linked content blocks with references, databases, and flashcards, rather than storing ordinary Markdown files.

Considerations

• You are responsible for running and maintaining the app and its stored files when self-hosting.
• Authentication is configurable, so review the settings and choose an appropriate option before exposing an instance.
• Search uses a cached index, which flatnotes incrementally syncs on startup and during searches.
• The project is intended to stay simple and distraction-free, so it may not suit users looking for notebooks, nested folders, or a feature-heavy workspace.