Top 10 Open Source Alternatives to Notion (for Design Planning) in 2025

As we venture into 2025, the landscape of digital tools for design planning continues to expand. Open-source alternatives to Notion have become increasingly sophisticated, offering extensive functionalities for teams and individuals alike. Here’s a detailed overview of the top 10 open-source alternatives, compared across several key features.

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1. OpenProject

Description: A comprehensive open-source project management software that supports classic, agile, and hybrid project management approaches. It’s designed for teams that need to manage complex projects and offers extensive features for planning, tracking, and collaboration.
Key Features:
Project Planning and Scheduling with Gantt charts and timelines.
Task Management and Issue Tracking with customizable workflows.
Agile Boards (Scrum and Kanban) for iterative development.
Time and Cost Tracking with detailed reporting.
Team Collaboration with document sharing and communication tools.
Learn more about OpenProject

2. Taiga

Description: An open-source project management platform specifically tailored for agile teams. It emphasizes simplicity and ease of use, making it a great option for tech teams and startups that utilize Scrum or Kanban.
Key Features:
Intuitive interface for managing projects using Scrum and Kanban boards.
Task management with progress tracking.
Integration with development tools like GitHub and GitLab.
Bug tracking capabilities.
Customizable dashboards for project reporting.
Explore Taiga
GitHub Repository

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3. Redmine

Description: A flexible open-source project management tool built on Ruby on Rails. It's known for its strong customization options and support for multiple project management features, suitable for larger teams.
Key Features:
Issue tracking system with customizable fields.
Time tracking for resource management.
Multi-project support for managing several projects simultaneously.
Plugin support for extending functionality.
Project wikis for documentation.
Learn more about Redmine

4. Focalboard

Description: An open-source task and project management tool developed by the Mattermost team. It's designed to help teams organize workflows and improve productivity, offering a flexible alternative to tools like Trello, Notion, and Asana.
Key Features:
Multiple Views: Kanban, calendar, and table views for different task management needs.
Team Collaboration with task assignment and progress tracking.
Self-Hosting capabilities.
Integration with Mattermost for enhanced collaboration.
Supports different workflows.
Discover Focalboard
GitHub Repository

5. TaskJuggler

Description: An open-source project management tool that helps plan, schedule, and manage projects. It's suitable for teams looking for a flexible and customizable tool for handling project tasks.
Key Features:
Project planning and scheduling.
Resource management capabilities.
Task tracking and assignment.
Reporting and analysis tools.
Customizable features.
Learn more about TaskJuggler

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6. AppFlowy

Description: Appflowy is a privacy-focused open-source alternative to Notion. It aims to provide a similar all-in-one workspace experience, with features for note-taking, project management, and knowledge organization.
Key Features:
Customizable workspaces with blocks and layouts.
Real-time collaboration.
Offline access.
Privacy-focused design.
Supports multiple document types and database features.
Discover AppFlowy

7. Notesnook

Description: Notesnook is an open-source, end-to-end encrypted note-taking app that serves as a privacy-focused alternative to Notion. While primarily focused on note-taking, it also has features suitable for design planning.
Key Features:
End-to-end encryption for enhanced privacy.
Multi-platform support.
Organize notes with tags and folders.
Offline access.
Supports rich text formatting and file attachments.
Explore Notesnook
GitHub Repository

8. Affine

Description: Affine is a modern open-source knowledge base and project management tool. It is an all-in-one workspace solution with features similar to Notion.
Key Features:
Flexible page structures.
Supports knowledge organization and management.
Real time collaboration.
Project management features with Kanban boards.
Extensibility through plugins.
Learn more about Affine

9. Leantime

Description: Leantime is an open-source project management system designed for startups and small teams. It combines project management, task tracking, and collaboration tools into an efficient platform.
Key Features:
Project planning with milestones.
Task management and assignments.
Time tracking for resource management.
Collaboration tools for team communication.
Reporting and analytics.
Explore Leantime
GitHub Repository

10. ProjectLibre

Description: ProjectLibre is an open-source project management software that provides an alternative to Microsoft Project. It's suitable for individuals and small to medium-sized teams needing a free and open-source solution for project planning and management.
Key Features:
Gantt charts for project planning.
Task management and scheduling.
Resource allocation.
Earned value management.
Microsoft Project file compatibility.
Discover ProjectLibre

These tools provide a range of functionalities to suit different design planning needs. They offer open-source solutions to improve team collaboration, manage tasks, and organize projects effectively in 2025.

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FAQ

1. What is OpenProject used for?

OpenProject is a comprehensive open-source project management software designed for managing complex projects. It supports classic, agile, and hybrid project management approaches. Learn more about OpenProject

2. How does Taiga support agile development?

Taiga is specifically tailored for agile teams, offering intuitive features for managing projects using Scrum and Kanban boards, integration with development tools, and customizable dashboards. Explore Taiga | Check out Taiga on GitHub

3. What makes Redmine a flexible project management tool?

Redmine offers strong customization options, including an issue tracking system, time tracking, multi-project support, and a wide range of plugins for extending its functionality. Discover Redmine

4. What are the main features of Focalboard?

Focalboard helps teams improve productivity with multiple views like Kanban, calendar, and table views, integration with Mattermost, and self-hosting capabilities. Learn about Focalboard | Explore Focalboard on GitHub

5. How does TaskJuggler assist with project management?

TaskJuggler provides features for project planning and scheduling, resource management, task tracking, and customizable reporting and analysis. Check out TaskJuggler

6. What privacy features does AppFlowy offer?

AppFlowy is focused on privacy, offering real-time collaboration, offline access, and customizable workspaces with a flexible all-in-one workspace similar to Notion. Explore AppFlowy

7. Is Notesnook suitable for design planning?

Yes, Notesnook offers end-to-end encryption, supports rich text formatting, file attachments, and has organizational features like tags and folders, making it useful for design planning. Discover Notesnook | Check out Notesnook on GitHub

8. How does Affine support project management?

Affine combines flexible page structures, real-time collaboration, knowledge organization, and project management features with Kanban boards. Learn more about Affine

9. Why is Leantime a good option for startups?

Leantime is designed for startups and small teams, providing project planning, task management, time tracking, and collaboration tools integrated into an efficient platform. Discover Leantime | Explore Leantime on GitHub

10. What features does ProjectLibre offer for project management?

ProjectLibre provides Gantt charts, task management, resource allocation, earned value management, and compatibility with Microsoft Project files. Check out ProjectLibre

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.