flatnotes review: self-hosted Markdown notes

flatnotes is a free open-source app for self-hosted markdown notes.¹⁴ It is a simple browser notebook whose files stay on a computer you control. Each note is a Markdown file in one folder, with no database behind it.¹ Markdown is plain text with small marks for headings and lists.

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A self-hosted notes app that stores Markdown files in one folder, with search and tags.¹

Works on: A web browser, including on a phone.¹ Docker is the recommended install, with images for Linux on amd64 and arm64.¹⁸

Price: Free of charge under the MIT licence.⁴ The project also points to PikaPods if you want a company to run it for you.¹

Licence: MIT.⁴

Best for: A personal notebook on a server you control.

Official site: github.com/dullage/flatnotes

What flatnotes does (and how it protects your privacy)

flatnotes is a note-taking website you run yourself. The screen stays simple: no folders or notebooks, and a full-text search you can open from anywhere with the / key.¹ Tags and links between notes are how the pages connect, and search is how you find them again.¹²

The privacy benefit is where the files live. Your notes are just Markdown files, with no database and no proprietary formatting, so you can move the folder to another app.¹ A .flatnotes folder holds a search index, and the app can rebuild it.² You can change the Markdown files from outside flatnotes while it is running.¹ Anyone who can open that folder can read the notes, because they are ordinary files.¹

Key features of flatnotes

Plain files, one folder. New notes are saved as .md files, and only files with that extension show up.²
Search from anywhere. Press / to search your notes. The wiki also includes advanced search.¹²
Tags as hashtags. A tag such as #work can be searched on its own.²
Links between notes. Writing [[My Note]] links to a note of that name.²
Two ways to edit. Use raw Markdown or a visual editor.¹
A simple home screen. Light and dark themes are included.¹ The home list defaults to recently modified notes, and you can point it at a tag such as #pinned.³
A login you can tighten. Leave the site open, make it read-only, require a password, or add a one-time code as well.²
Pictures in the note. Insert, drop, or paste an image. It is stored in an attachments folder inside your data folder.⁷

Pros and cons

Pros

Notes stay as ordinary Markdown, so you can leave for another app by copying the folder.¹
Password login is the default, and you can add a one-time code.²³
The MIT licence grants use of the software free of charge, and the source is public.⁴⁶
Version 5.5.5 came out on 29 August 2026, and the repository is not archived.⁵⁶
The page is built to work on a phone screen as well as a computer.¹

Cons

You run it yourself. Docker is the recommended way, or you can use the hosted option on PikaPods.¹
There are no folders or notebooks. Search and tagging are the organisation the project includes.¹
Password mode uses a username and password that you set in the server configuration.³
Pictures are not removed when you delete the note, and the app has no screen for viewing or deleting the attachments folder.⁷
The author wants to keep the app simple, which means limiting new features.¹

Is flatnotes safe and private?

Notes are Markdown files in a folder you choose, plus a search index in .flatnotes.² Docker uses /data inside the container for that folder.³ Adam Dullage holds the 2021 copyright and publishes the code under the MIT licence.⁴

Who can open the site depends on a setting you choose before you start it. The wiki lists four choices. With none, anyone who can reach the address can use the site. Read-only is also open to anyone who can reach the address, but creating, editing, and deleting are switched off. The project suggests that for a blog or for documentation. Password asks for a username and password. TOTP adds a one-time code from an authenticator app on top of that password.² If you do not set a choice, the app defaults to password.³

Password and TOTP modes also need a secret key, which the app uses to create access tokens. Changing that key invalidates existing tokens. The docs suggest a password generator for a random 32-character string.³ A login lasts 30 days unless you change that number.³ With TOTP, a QR code is printed at startup. In Docker it appears in the container logs, and you can type the secret in by hand.³

Version 5.5.5 was published on 29 August 2026.⁵ The repository is public and is not archived. Its last code push was the same day.⁶ The 5.5.5 Docker image is published for linux/amd64 and linux/arm64.⁸ Saved images live in an attachments folder. Each file can be opened at an /attachments/ address that includes the file name.⁷ The project also links PikaPods as a host.¹

How to get started with flatnotes

Open the project on GitHub. Docker is the recommended install, using the dullage/flatnotes image.¹⁸ The linked demo resets every 15 minutes.¹
Create a folder for the notes and mount it at /data, the notes path inside the Docker image.¹³
Choose password or totp. Set your own username, password, and secret key, and replace the sample password in the example. A password generator can make the 32-character secret the docs suggest.¹³
Start dullage/flatnotes:latest and publish port 8080, the port the image uses unless you change it.¹³
Open that address in a browser, sign in, and write a note. Add a hashtag for a tag, or link another note with double square brackets.²
For a one-time code, set totp and a TOTP key, then scan the QR code from the container logs.³ Proton Authenticator is a standalone app for sign-in codes.
Copy the notes folder somewhere safe. The Markdown files are the notes. With the app stopped, deleting .flatnotes only removes the search index, which is rebuilt on the next start.²

Who should use flatnotes (and who might prefer something else)

flatnotes fits someone who wants one quiet notebook in a browser, with the files on a machine they control. It suits people who write in Markdown, find notes by searching, and are happy to run Docker or to use a host such as PikaPods.

If you want a notebook built as a clear hierarchy of pages, Trilium Notes is aimed at that kind of structure. If you want encrypted notes across devices, Notesnook is the closer guide to read next. If you want another small self-hosted notebook, Memos is written up separately.

Frequently asked questions

Is flatnotes free?

Yes. The MIT licence grants use free of charge, including the right to copy, modify, and distribute the software.⁴ You still provide the computer, or you use a host such as PikaPods, which the project links as a setup option.¹

Is flatnotes safe?

Password login is the default, and you can add a one-time code.³ With authentication off, anyone who can open the address can use the site, so use that setting on a network you trust.² The notes are ordinary Markdown files, so protect the folder as well as the login.¹

Does flatnotes work on iPhone?

You use it in the phone’s browser. The project describes a mobile-responsive web interface, so the page is meant to fit a small screen.¹ Open your server’s address and sign in there.

Can flatnotes organise notes in folders?

No. It leaves out folders and notebooks on purpose.¹ Tags, search, and links between notes are how you find a page again.² You can still copy the Markdown folder to another app.¹