AppFlowy Project Structure

The open-source alternative to Notion. AppFlowy is built for performance and privacy, utilizing a sophisticated cross-platform architecture with Flutter for the UI and Rust for the core business logic and data persistence.

Updated 2025-12-30

#appflowy #notion-alternative #flutter #rust #dart #cross-platform #open-source

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Project Directory

AppFlowy/

frontend/

The primary workspace

appflowy_flutter/

Main Flutter application

lib/

Dart source code

assets/

pubspec.yaml

rust-lib/

Core Rust business logic

src/

Cargo.toml

doc/

Technical documentation

scripts/

Automation and build scripts

README.md

Repository Info

Repository-AppFlowy-IO/AppFlowy
Stars-50k+
License-AGPL-3.0
Last Analyzed-December 2025

Tech Stack

UI Framework-Flutter (Dart)
Core Engine-Rust
Inter-op-Flutter Rust Bridge (FRB)
Database-SQLite (via Rust)
State Mgmt-Riverpod / Bloc

Architecture Notes

AppFlowy follows a 'Thin UI, Thick Core' philosophy. The UI is built with Flutter to ensure a consistent experience across Windows, macOS, and Linux. However, almost all business logic—including collaborative editing, data synchronization, and database management—is implemented in Rust (rust-lib). This core is then shared with the Flutter frontend through a high-performance bridge. This approach ensures maximum performance, privacy, and code reuse across platforms.

Key Directories

frontend/appflowy_flutter/-Houses the Flutter UI components and platform-specific code
frontend/rust-lib/-The Rust-based engine that handles the heavy lifting and data management
doc/-Extensive documentation on the architecture and development process

Why This Structure?

AppFlowy is the gold standard for modern cross-platform applications combining Rust and Flutter. It shows how to build a highly complex, performant, and privacy-focused application that rivals proprietary software. Essential study for anyone interested in high-performance desktop or mobile development.

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