Publish and collaborate

Replace hosted docs, websites, notes, forms, and whiteboards with software your team can run itself.

Outcome: A collaborative workspace with portable content and fewer platform dependencies.

Projects to compare

AFFiNE

Open-source · Self-hosted

Open-source privacy-first collaborative workspace combining notes, docs, whiteboards, and knowledge management in one self-hosted Notion alternative.

Knowledge BaseCollaborationNote Taking

Memos

Open-source · Self-hosted

Privacy-first lightweight note-taking platform with Markdown support, sharing features, and REST API for self-hosted knowledge management.

Note TakingKnowledge BaseMarkdown

Ghost

Open-source · Self-hosted

Professional self-hosted publishing platform for blogs, newsletters, and content creators.

CMSBloggingNewsletter

WordPress

Open-source · Self-hosted

World's most popular open-source CMS powering 40% of websites with unlimited themes, plugins, and complete self-hosting control.

CMSBloggingE-commerce

Directus

Open-source · Self-hosted

Open-source headless CMS with intuitive admin dashboard, REST/GraphQL APIs, role-based permissions, and flexible data modeling for modern content management.

CMSHeadless CMSAPI-First

Payload

Open-source · Self-hosted

Modern TypeScript headless CMS and application framework with powerful admin UI, authentication, and file storage - build faster without microservices complexity.

CMSHeadless CMSTypeScript

Excalidraw

Open-source · Self-hosted

Open-source virtual whiteboard for brainstorming, diagramming, and architecture sessions with real-time collaboration and offline-friendly files you can self-host anywhere.

WhiteboardDiagrammingCollaboration

Before you choose

What should I evaluate first?

Start with backup and restore, upgrade cadence, identity, and the skills needed to diagnose failures. Features matter only after the service is recoverable.

Does self-hosting mean running a server at home?

No. You can run these projects at home, on a VPS, or through a managed container provider. Self-hosting is about operational control, not a specific location.