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flatnotes Hosting
Write, search, and organize Markdown notes through a distraction-free web interface.
No setup fees-
One click deploy -
1 GB RAM Memory needed -
15 GB Disk Space Needed -
From 2 € Price
Official links
flatnotes’s official links and original website
flatnotes Website
More
Tech
- Docker image
- dullage/flatnotes:latest
- Default port
- 8080
How flatnotes works
flatnotes reads and writes Markdown files in a flat data directory. The application builds a search index beside those notes, so users can find words, tags, and linked ideas without arranging every page into a directory hierarchy. Raw Markdown and visual editing modes support different writing preferences, while wikilinks connect related notes through familiar double-bracket syntax.
The note files remain usable outside the application. An administrator can copy, edit, or move them with other Markdown-aware tools, and the search index can be rebuilt from the source files. That portability is a central design choice, but simultaneous external edits and browser edits still require care because two tools can overwrite the same file without understanding one another’s unsaved changes.
Key flatnotes features
The catalogue configures password authentication with one generated username, admin, and a generated password. Upstream flatnotes also supports unauthenticated, read-only, and TOTP modes, but those alternatives are not enabled by this template. The hosted package should therefore be described as one password-protected note space rather than a complete multi-user workspace with roles and per-note permissions.
Tags are written into note content and indexed for filtering. Search, custom home-page options, themes, a responsive interface, a documented API, and wikilinks give a small collection useful navigation without adding a database. Attachments, collaborative comments, granular sharing, and external identity providers are not part of the catalogue configuration.
Who uses flatnotes
Writers keep drafts and reference notes, developers maintain snippets and troubleshooting records, and individuals build a lightweight personal wiki. The application is especially useful when being able to retrieve the underlying Markdown files matters as much as the browser interface.
flatnotes is less suitable for organisations that need simultaneous editing, approval states, attachment libraries, detailed access roles, or isolated spaces for many customers. A shared password also means every authorised user effectively enters the same application context.
Self-hosting flatnotes: requirements and cost
flatnotes resource use grows with note count, full-text index size, search frequency, Markdown rendering, API traffic, and concurrent browser sessions. PostgreSQL and MariaDB are Not required; the notes and index live in the persistent /data directory. flatnotes itself adds no software subscription fee, and most installations remain light unless the note corpus or search workload becomes unusually large.
On AvaHost, flatnotes uses Plan 1 at €2. The hosted flatnotes package includes one-click deployment, a custom domain with automated HTTPS, automatic application updates, and scheduled backups. The template supplies one generated administrator-style username and password. TOTP, read-only mode, public publishing, role separation, attachments, external identity, and conflict resolution between simultaneous outside edits are not configured as part of the hosted package.
F.A.Q
flatnotes starts at €2 on Plan 1. That plan fits a substantial personal Markdown collection with ordinary search activity. Note count, index size, API traffic, rendering work, and simultaneous sessions are the main resource indicators. Because the files remain plain Markdown, the data footprint is generally easier to inspect than a media-heavy workspace.
The catalogue configures password authentication with username `admin` and a generated password shown with the deployment credentials. This is one shared application login, not a role-based team directory. Store the password securely, change access when membership changes, and do not present the template as providing separate private notebooks for different users.
A custom domain can be connected to flatnotes, and automated HTTPS protects note and login traffic in the browser. The certificate does not add per-note permissions, separate team accounts, or editing conflict resolution. Anyone holding the configured credentials can reach the same note space, so the domain and password should be shared only with trusted users.
AvaHost applies flatnotes updates automatically and includes scheduled backups for the persistent data directory. After a release, test login, raw and visual editing, full-text search, tags, wikilinks, themes, API access, and several existing Markdown files. Keep an independent copy of important notes and avoid editing the same file concurrently through unrelated tools.