Comparison
Baalda vs Notion: which second brain fits your team?
All-in-one cloud workspace for docs, notes, and databases.
Pick Notion if you want an all-in-one cloud workspace with databases and don't mind your knowledge living server-side in a proprietary format. Pick Baalda if you want a local-first, open-source team second brain where every note is a markdown file you own, still edited together in real time.
At a glance
| Feature | Baalda | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time multi-user editing | Yes — CRDT, keystroke-level | Yes |
| Notes are plain markdown files on your disk | Yes | No — proprietary blocks |
| Local-first (works offline, you own the files) | Yes | No — cloud database |
| Open source | Yes — Apache-2.0 | No |
| AI reads & writes your files (MCP) | Yes | No — Notion AI is closed/cloud |
| Per-file permissions | Yes | Partial — page-level |
| Self-hostable | Yes | No |
| Price | Free + Team plan | Free + per-seat |
Where Notion is the better choice
- Databases, views, and templates for structured work.
- An all-in-one workspace: docs, wikis, projects, and tasks in one place.
- Polished UI and a large template ecosystem.
Where Baalda wins
- Your notes are plain markdown files on your disk, not rows in someone's database.
- Local-first: works fully offline and outlives the app, with no lock-in.
- Open source (Apache-2.0) and self-hostable, with AI writing to your real files over MCP.
Can you switch?
Notion exports to markdown. Baalda imports those files directly, and from then on your knowledge is plain markdown you own rather than proprietary blocks.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an open source Notion alternative?
Yes. Baalda is an open-source (Apache-2.0), local-first alternative for teams: real-time collaboration like Notion, but every note is a plain markdown file you own and can self-host.
Does Baalda have databases like Notion?
Baalda focuses on linked markdown notes, backlinks, and graph rather than Notion-style relational databases. If your core need is structured databases, Notion may fit better; if it's an owned, collaborative knowledge base, Baalda does.
Who owns my data in Notion vs Baalda?
In Notion your content lives in Notion's cloud database. In Baalda every note is a markdown file on your own disk, so you keep and control the data even offline.