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Leaving Notion guide

Open-Source Notion Alternatives That Import Your Pages

AppFlowy, AFFiNE, Logseq, and Joplin compared by license and by which Notion export each one imports. Plus where Anytype and Obsidian fit.

Direct answer

AppFlowy (AGPL-3.0) imports a Notion workspace export zip. AFFiNE (MIT outside its backend and native packages) imports an HTML export zip. Logseq (AGPL-3.0) and Joplin (AGPL-3.0-or-later) have no official Notion importer, so you bring a cleaned Markdown export. Anytype imports through a Notion API token but is source-available, not open source. Obsidian is closed source, though its Notion Importer plugin is MIT licensed.

Open the Notion export cleaner

When to use this

  • You want to leave Notion for an app whose code you can read and self-host.
  • You need to know which export format each app expects before you export.
  • You care about the license, not just the price.

Steps

  1. AppFlowy (AGPL-3.0, self-hostable). Export the whole workspace and upload the zip at appflowy.io/compare/notion-vs-appflowy. You get an email when it's done, and the content lands in a new workspace named after the zip. Its importer code reads the Markdown & CSV format.
  2. AFFiNE (MIT outside packages/backend and packages/common/native, self-hostable). Export as HTML with subpages, then use Import, then Notion. Some users report the import freezing, so try a small export first.
  3. Logseq (AGPL-3.0). No official importer. Export Markdown & CSV, clean it in Clean export (.zip) with [[wiki links]] on, and copy the files into your graph. Community scripts such as Notion2Logseq also exist.
  4. Joplin (AGPL-3.0-or-later, except its server package). No Notion importer. Joplin imports Markdown, so clean the Markdown & CSV export first and import the folder.
  5. Not open source: Anytype is source-available and imports with a Notion API token from Space settings, then Import, then Notion. Obsidian is closed source and imports an HTML zip or an API token.

Example

Before
Notion export (Markdown & CSV)
  Roadmap 8a1b2c3d4e5f60718293a4b5c6d7e8f9.md
  Tasks 0f1e2d3c4b5a69788796a5b4c3d2e1f0.csv
After
AppFlowy: upload the zip as is
Logseq or Joplin: Roadmap.md and Tasks.md, a Markdown table
AFFiNE: export again as HTML

Common mistakes

  • Match the export to the app. AppFlowy reads Markdown & CSV, while AFFiNE and Obsidian's zip route expect HTML.
  • Anytype's license allows non-commercial use, and commercial use only in its Allowed Networks. Read it before a team rollout.
  • Every route loses something. Anytype turns @mentions into plain text and imports formulas and rollups as values. Check a sample before you move everything.

Tools for this job

FAQ

Which open-source app imports Notion databases?
AppFlowy's importer reads the database CSV files, and simple databases become grids. Logseq and Joplin get static Markdown tables from the cleaner.
Which ones can I self-host?
AppFlowy and AFFiNE both describe themselves as self-hostable. Logseq and Joplin keep your notes as local files, and Joplin can sync through Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Joplin Cloud.
What do they cost?
As of September 2026, AppFlowy's free cloud plan covers 1 workspace, 2 members, and 5 GB. Joplin's app is free and Joplin Cloud Basic is €2.99 a month. Logseq is free.
Is Obsidian open source?
No. The Obsidian app is closed source. Its Importer plugin, which handles Notion, is MIT licensed.

Sources

Checked September 2026.

More guides for leaving Notion

Remove the Random Characters From Notion Export File Names

Why every file in a Notion export ends in a 32-character ID, and how to strip the IDs without breaking the links between pages.

How to Move From Notion to Obsidian

Use Obsidian's Importer plugin with a Notion API token or an HTML export. Clean a Markdown export here only as the fallback.

Turn a Notion Database CSV Into a Markdown Table

A Notion database exports as CSV plus one Markdown file per row. Here is how to get a readable Markdown table out of it.

Move Notion Pages to GitHub as Markdown

Export Notion as Markdown, strip the page IDs, fix the links, and commit the folder to a GitHub repository.

How to Move a Notion Page to Google Docs

Export the page as Markdown, clean it, and paste it into Google Docs as rich text with headings, lists, links, and tables intact.

How to Move From Notion to Confluence

Use Confluence's official Notion importer for a whole workspace, or the Markdown route for a few pages. What each keeps and drops.

How to Move From Notion to Logseq

Logseq has no official Notion importer. Export Markdown, clean the names and links, and add the files to your graph.

Turn Your Notion Notes Into a Folder Claude Code Can Read

Export Notion as Markdown, clean the names, and add a short CLAUDE.md so Claude Code can find and use your notes.

Notion Export Not Working? Fixes for Common Errors

Fixes for Notion exports that hang, arrive as nested Part zips, expire, fail on Windows, or come back without attachments.