Flatnotes — Self-Hosted Database-Free Markdown Notes

Introduction

Flatnotes is a note-taking web application that stores everything as plain Markdown files on disk. There is no database to configure, back up, or migrate. You get a clean web editor, full-text search, and tagging — all backed by files you can read, edit, and version-control with standard tools.

What Flatnotes Does

• Provides a web-based Markdown editor with live preview
• Stores all notes as .md files in a single flat directory
• Supports full-text search across all notes
• Organizes notes with a tag-based system
• Offers password and TOTP-based authentication

Architecture Overview

Flatnotes is built with a Python (Flask) backend and a Vue.js frontend. Notes are read from and written to a mounted directory as plain Markdown files. Search is implemented using Whoosh, a pure-Python full-text search library that indexes the note directory. The entire application runs as a single container with no external dependencies.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy with a single Docker command
• Mount a directory for note storage — that is the entire data layer
• Configure authentication via environment variables
• Supports password auth, TOTP two-factor, or no auth for local use
• Back up notes by copying the mounted directory

Key Features

• Zero-database architecture — notes are plain files
• Notes are portable and readable outside the application
• Full-text search with instant results
• Tag-based organization without rigid folder hierarchies
• Minimal resource footprint suitable for low-powered servers

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Trilium Notes — rich hierarchical notes with a database; Flatnotes is simpler and database-free
• Joplin — sync-focused with E2E encryption; Flatnotes is server-only with file-based storage
• Obsidian — desktop-first with a plugin ecosystem; Flatnotes is web-first and self-hosted
• HedgeDoc — real-time collaborative editing; Flatnotes is single-user focused
• Memos — micro-note and timeline format; Flatnotes uses full Markdown documents

FAQ

Q: Can I edit notes outside of the web interface? A: Yes. Notes are plain Markdown files. Edit them with any text editor or sync them with Git.

Q: Does it support multiple users? A: It supports a single authenticated user. Multi-user is not a design goal.

Q: How does search work without a database? A: Flatnotes uses Whoosh, a Python-based search library that maintains a local index of the note directory.

Q: Can I migrate from another note app? A: If your existing notes are in Markdown format, copy them into the data directory and they will appear immediately.

Sources

• https://github.com/dullage/flatnotes