Show HN: NoteDiscovery – Free Self-Hosted Alternative to Notion/Obsidian

Description and use

NoteDiscovery is a free, self-hosted note-taking app that stores notes as plain markdown files and offers a modern web UI with live preview. The user adopted it after experiencing friction with Obsidian across multiple computers and syncing.

Problem

A user who relies on Obsidian for note-taking experiences friction from installing the app on multiple computers and managing syncing, seeking a simpler self-hosted alternative.

Outcome

NoteDiscovery provides a free, self-hosted alternative that avoids the need to install the app on multiple computers and removes the hassle of syncing notes.

Workflow

• Install NoteDiscovery via Docker.
• Store notes as plain markdown files.
• Use the modern web UI with live preview.
• Access the app from any computer without installation or syncing.

Evidence

I built NoteDiscovery - a self-hosted note-taking app that stores everything as plain markdown files, and most importantly, free!

Source

Why I made this: I do like Obsidian and been using it for quite some time, but having to install in all different computers to use it in, plus the hassle of syncing notes made me think about a new alternative.

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Key features: - Docker - Plain markdown files - Modern web UI with live preview

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It's 100% free and MIT licensed.

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Please bear in mind it's in VERY early stages so it doesn't get even close to what the excellent Obsidian can do, but for the time being it's more than enough to suit my personal needs, so depending on my availability I may be adding more features.

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