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The open-source, self-hostable Notion alternative
Last updated June 30, 2026
Notion is a strong all-round workspace, but your pages live in a proprietary block database, it is cloud-only, and nothing in it writes your docs from your code. tela is markdown-native, self-hostable, and agent-native — and Atlas generates a cited wiki straight from your git repos and Jira.
tela vs Notion, at a glance
| Feature | tela | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Canonical markdown you own | Proprietary block database |
| Self-hostable | Yes — self-host free, plus a free cloud tier | No — cloud only |
| Ask your docs (AI) | Built in — semantic + full-text, answers with citations | "Ask Notion" — on the Business tier |
| Agents read & write (MCP) | Built in — agents read & write (39 scoped tools) | Official MCP server (behind paid AI) |
| Generate docs from your code | Yes — Atlas builds a cited, coverage-checked wiki from git + Jira | No |
Why teams switch to tela
- Your docs write themselves — point Atlas at a repo or Jira project and it generates a cited, coverage-checked wiki.
- Own your content as portable markdown — export is a no-op, not a lossy converter out of a block store.
- Self-host on your own infrastructure, or use the free cloud tier.
When Notion is the better choice
Notion is years ahead on databases, templates, and all-round polish. If you want a relational workspace — trackers, project boards, lightweight apps — rather than a wiki, Notion is the better tool.
Try tela
tela is an open-source (AGPL), self-hostable team wiki. Self-host it, or start on the free cloud tier at telawiki.com. See the MCP server docs for connecting your agents, or compare tela with other tools.
Notion pricing + Notion MCP server (verified 2026). tela facts current as of June 2026.