Curated for Indie Hackers

The Best Document Management Tools

Stop searching. We've ranked the top tools used by profitable founders to build and scale your startups.

1
#1
Free / $3.99/mo (cloud sync optional)

Free, open-source note-taking app with end-to-end encryption and markdown support.

Markdown editing
Cross-platform sync
End-to-end encryption
2
#2
Free (self-hosted)

Open-source document management system that transforms physical documents into searchable archives.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
Machine learning auto-tagging
Full-text search across all documents
3
#3
Free (local) / $9.99/year (cloud sync)

Privacy-centric note-taking with block-level linking, SQL queries, and unlimited local storage.

Markdown editing with WYSIWYG hybrid
Block-level linking and queries
SQL-based search system
4
#4
Free (self-hosted) / $5/user/mo (cloud)

Open-source collaborative wiki for teams with real-time editing and zero-cost self-hosting.

Real-time collaboration
Hierarchical page structure
Diagram embedding
5
#5
Free / €10.86/user/mo (cloud)

Privacy-first Notion alternative with offline mode, local AI, and complete data ownership.

Document editor
Database with multiple views
AI on-device
6
#6
Free (self-hosted) / Managed hosting ~$20/mo

Beautiful, open-source wiki organized as books, chapters, and pages—zero cost to self-host.

Hierarchical organization (Shelves, Books, Chapters, Pages)
WYSIWYG editor with Markdown support
Full-text search
7
#7
Free / $5/mo (cloud sync optional)

Free, open-source outliner for building digital gardens with bi-directional linking and graph view.

Bi-directional linking
Graph visualization
Journal and daily notes
8
#8
Free (self-hosted) / $5-10/mo (managed hosting)

Lightweight, open-source memo and note-taking app with privacy-first design and easy deployment.

Quick note capture
Tagging system
Markdown support
9
#9
$10/mo (1-10 members) / $79/mo (11-100 members)

Modern team wiki and knowledge base with beautiful design and powerful search.

Nested page structure
Real-time collaboration
Rich text editor
10
#10
Free (self-hosted) / Cloud sync optional

Notion and Miro merged: docs, whiteboards, and databases in one privacy-first tool.

Block-based editor
Infinite canvas (edgeless mode)
Database and collections

How we ranked these tools

We analyze real data from indie hacker communities, verified revenue reports, and user sentiment. No pay-to-play rankings, ever.

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