SiYuan
47kA privacy-first personal knowledge management software, written in typescript and golang.
Knowledge Management ToolsAGPL-3.0
Self-hosted Knowledge Management Tools
SelfHostHub lists 12 open-source Knowledge Management Tools projects you can host on your own server. The most-starred on GitHub are SiYuan (46,827 stars), Docs (16,928 stars) and NoteDiscovery (2,847 stars). 8 of them document a Docker install, and 8 offer a live demo you can try first.
Replacing a paid app? See open-source alternatives to Notion.
Docs
17kCollaborative note taking, wiki and documentation platform that scales.
Note-taking & EditorsMIT
NoteDiscovery
2.8kMarkdown note-taking app with plain-file storage, graph view, and MCP integration (alternative to Obsidian, Notion).
Note-taking & EditorsMIT
Aleph
2.4kTool for indexing large amounts of both documents (PDF, Word, HTML) and structured (CSV, XLS, SQL) data for easy browsing and search. It is built with investigative reporting as a primary use case.
Search EnginesMIT
Atomic Server
1.6kKnowledge graph database with documents (similar to Notion), tables, search, and a powerful linked data API. Lightweight, very fast and no runtime dependencies.
Knowledge Management ToolsMIT
Marmot
623Data catalog for discovering and organizing data assets across your stack, including databases, APIs, message queues, and pipelines.
Knowledge Management ToolsMIT
TeamMapper
511Host and create your own mindmaps. Share your mindmap sessions with your team and collaborate live on mindmaps.
Knowledge Management ToolsMIT
LibreKB
62Web-based knowledge base solution. A simple web app, it runs on pretty much any web server or hosting provider with PHP and MySQL.
Knowledge Management ToolsGPL-3.0
Structured personal knowledge base, inspired by zettlekasten and org-mode.
Knowledge Management ToolsAGPL-3.0
Create simple mindmaps (documentation in French).
Knowledge Management ToolsAGPL-3.0
Online assessment software. From a quick quiz on your phone to large scale, high stakes, proctored desktop testing, easy, secure and economical.
Learning and CoursesGPL-2.0
Manage your knowledge in documents with folders, markdown, full text search and webpage collection support.
Knowledge Management Tools⊘ Proprietary
How to choose self-hosted Knowledge Management Tools software
- Check project health. Stars show popularity, not maintenance. Open the source repository and look at recent commits and releases.
- Match the licence to your use. 5 use a GPL-family licence (copyleft, including AGPL) and 6 use a permissive licence such as MIT, Apache-2.0 or BSD. AGPL matters if you modify the software and offer it to others over a network.
- Pick a stack you can run. The most common platforms here are Docker (8), K8S (2), Nodejs (2) and PHP (2). Docker is usually the easiest path for a home server or VPS.
- Try before you migrate. Use a live demo where one exists (8 here), or a throwaway container first, and confirm it can import your existing data before switching.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular self-hosted Knowledge Management Tools software?
By GitHub stars, the top projects in this category are SiYuan (46,827 stars), Docs (16,928 stars) and NoteDiscovery (2,847 stars).
How many open-source Knowledge Management Tools tools are listed?
12 projects are currently listed in the Knowledge Management Tools category on SelfHostHub.
Which licences do self-hosted Knowledge Management Tools projects use?
The most common licences in this category are MIT (6), AGPL-3.0 (3) and GPL-3.0 (1).
Can I run these Knowledge Management Tools tools with Docker?
8 of the 12 projects list Docker as a supported platform. Check each project's documentation for the exact install steps.