Self-hosted alternatives to HackMD
Want collaborative Markdown editing without handing your data to HackMD? These 21 self-hosted apps run on your own server. Cheapest estimated hosting starts at about $3.5/month.
About HackMD: Collaborative real-time Markdown editor.
| App | Health | Stars | License | Docker | RAM (est.) | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memos | Active | 64.3k | MIT | ✓ | 512 MB | $3.5/mo |
| Joplin | Active | 57k | MIT | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Wiki.js | Active | 29.2k | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| docmost Community Edition | Active | 22.2k | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Overleaf | Active | 18.3k | AGPL-3.0 | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Docs | Active | 17k | MIT | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| HedgeDoc | Active | 7.5k | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| flatnotes | Active | 3.3k | MIT | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| NoteDiscovery | Active | 2.9k | MIT | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Zim | Active | 2.2k | GPL-2.0 | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Otter Wiki | Active | 1.6k | MIT | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| LeafWiki | Active | 1.2k | MIT | ✓ | 512 MB | $3.5/mo |
| Many Notes | Active | 1.1k | MIT | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Note Mark | Active | 774 | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Raneto | Maintained | 2.9k | MIT | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| WikiDocs | Active | 533 | MIT | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Plainpad | Active | 452 | GPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| plumio | Active | 142 | AGPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Neverkin | Active | 22 | GPL-3.0 | ✓ | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Writing | Stale | 1.1k | MIT | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
| PmWiki | Unknown | – | GPL-3.0 | – | 1 GB | $5/mo |
The options in detail
1. Memos
Knowledge base that works with a SQLite db file.
Active Last commit 2026-11-05. Latest release 26.11.0 (2026-11-01). Needs roughly 512 MB RAM. How to run it →
2. Joplin
Note taking application with markdown editor and encryption support for mobile and desktop platforms. Runs client-side and syncs through your own Nextcloud instance or similar (alternative to Evernote).
Active Last commit 2026-11-05. Latest release v3.7.22 (2026-10-28). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
3. Wiki.js
Modern, lightweight and powerful wiki app using Git and Markdown.
Active Last commit 2026-11-05. Latest release 3.0.2 (2026-11-02). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
4. docmost Community Edition
Collaborative wiki and documentation software (alternative to Confluence, Notion).
Active Last commit 2026-11-05. 10+ releases in the past year. Latest release v0.97.0 (2026-10-25). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
5. Overleaf
Web-based collaborative LaTeX editor.
Active Last commit 2026-09-17. Latest release v0.1.3 (2015-02-26). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
6. Docs
Collaborative note taking, wiki and documentation platform that scales.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. Latest release v6.0.4 (2026-10-26). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
7. HedgeDoc
Realtime collaborative markdown notes on all platforms, formerly known as CodiMD and HackMD CE.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. Latest release 1.12.2 (2026-11-04). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
8. flatnotes
Database-less note-taking web app that utilises a flat folder of markdown files for storage.
Active Last commit 2026-08-29. 1 release in the past year. Latest release v5.5.5 (2026-08-29). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
9. NoteDiscovery
Markdown note-taking app with plain-file storage, graph view, and MCP integration (alternative to Obsidian, Notion).
Active Last commit 2026-11-02. 10+ releases in the past year. Latest release v0.34.0 (2026-11-02). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
10. Zim
Graphical text editor used to maintain a collection of wiki pages. Each page can contain links to other pages, simple formatting and images.
Active Last commit 2026-10-24. Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
11. Otter Wiki
Simple, easy to use wiki software using markdown.
Active Last commit 2026-11-01. Latest release v2.26.2 (2026-11-01). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
12. LeafWiki
Fast wiki for people who think in folders, not feeds. Fast editing. Tree navigation. Markdown on disk.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. Latest release v0.14.2 (2026-10-22). Needs roughly 512 MB RAM. How to run it →
13. Many Notes
Markdown note-taking web application designed for simplicity.
Active Last commit 2026-10-22. 9 releases in the past year. Latest release v0.18.1 (2026-10-22). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
14. Note Mark
Minimal web-based Markdown notes app.
Active Last commit 2026-10-02. 10+ releases in the past year. Latest release v1.1.1 (2026-10-02). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
15. Raneto
Knowledgebase platform that uses static Markdown files.
Maintained Last commit 2026-03-18. Latest release 0.18.1 (2026-03-11). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
16. WikiDocs
Databaseless markdown flat-file wiki engine.
Active Last commit 2026-10-25. Latest release 2.0.2 (2026-10-25). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
17. Plainpad
Modern note taking application for the cloud, utilizing the best features of progressive web apps technology.
Active Last commit 2026-10-26. 6 releases in the past year. Latest release 1.2.0 (2026-10-26). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
18. plumio
Markdown notes taking app with live preview, document encryption, multi-user support, multi-organization capabilities and more.
Active Last commit 2026-11-03. 10+ releases in the past year. Latest release v2.11.0 (2026-08-11). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
19. Neverkin
Collaborative writing, worldbuilding and D&D-session-planning app. Tools for organizing your notes and stories.
Active Last commit 2026-11-04. Latest release v2.69.0 (2026-11-03). Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
20. Writing
Lightweight distraction-free text editor, in the browser (Markdown and LaTeX supported). No lag when writing.
Stale Last commit 2022-08-10. Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
21. PmWiki
Wiki-based system for collaborative creation and maintenance of websites.
Unknown Needs roughly 1 GB RAM. How to run it →
Why self-host instead of HackMD?
- Own your data — it lives on a server you control, with backups you decide on.
- Predictable cost — a small VPS often replaces per-seat pricing for a whole team or family.
- No lock-in — open-source licenses let you keep running the software even if a vendor disappears.
The trade-off: you are responsible for updates, backups and security. Pick an app marked Active (a commit in the last 90 days) and with Docker support for the easiest ride.
Browse related categories
Other alternatives guides
HackMD is a trademark of its owner; this site is not affiliated with it. Listings come from the community-maintained awesome-selfhosted list.