Archivy logo

Archivy

Self-hosted knowledge repository with digital preservation and extensibility

Self-hostable personal wiki that preserves bookmarked web content, organizes knowledge with bidirectional links, and stores everything in markdown files with powerful search and plugin support.

Archivy banner

Overview

Your Personal Knowledge Archive

Archivy is a self-hosted knowledge repository designed for individuals who want complete control over their information. Built on the principle of digital preservation, it automatically saves the full content of bookmarked web pages, ensuring permanent access even if the original source disappears.

File-First Architecture

Every note and bookmark lives as an extended markdown file with YAML front matter, giving you direct filesystem access without vendor lock-in. The system supports bidirectional linking between notes, embedded tags, LaTeX math rendering, syntax highlighting, and footnotes—all while maintaining human-readable plain text storage.

Extensible and Searchable

Power users benefit from a plugin system and API that enable custom workflows and integrations with external services. Advanced search capabilities powered by Elasticsearch help you rediscover information quickly. The Python-based platform installs via pip or Docker, with straightforward admin user creation and local deployment at localhost:5000. Ideal for researchers, students, and knowledge workers who prioritize data ownership and long-term accessibility.

Highlights

Automatic web page archival for bookmarks ensures permanent content access
Markdown-based storage with bidirectional links and tag organization
Extensible plugin system and API for custom integrations
Advanced search powered by Elasticsearch with image upload support

Pros

  • Complete data ownership with file-based storage in readable markdown format
  • Digital preservation automatically captures bookmark content for long-term access
  • Extensible architecture supports plugins and API integrations
  • Simple installation via pip with Docker option available

Considerations

  • Single-user system currently; multi-user support is on the roadmap
  • Requires self-hosting infrastructure and maintenance
  • Elasticsearch dependency adds complexity for advanced search features
  • Smaller community compared to established note-taking platforms

Managed products teams compare with

When teams consider Archivy, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.

Coda logo

Coda

Docs, tables, and apps combined into one collaborative workspace

Craft logo

Craft

Collaborative documents and notes with rich formatting

Document360 logo

Document360

Knowledge base software for product docs and self‑service help

Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.

Fit guide

Great for

  • Researchers and students building long-term personal knowledge bases
  • Privacy-conscious users who want complete control over their data
  • Power users seeking extensibility through plugins and API access
  • Digital archivists prioritizing permanent access to web content

Not ideal when

  • Teams needing collaborative multi-user editing and permissions
  • Users wanting cloud-hosted managed services without self-hosting
  • Organizations requiring enterprise support and SLAs
  • Beginners uncomfortable with command-line installation and server management

How teams use it

Academic Research Archive

Preserve cited web sources permanently while organizing literature notes with bidirectional links and LaTeX math support for thesis work

Developer Documentation Hub

Collect technical bookmarks with automatic content archival, organize with tags, and extend functionality through custom plugins for workflow integration

Personal Learning System

Build an interconnected knowledge graph using bidirectional links between concepts, with powerful search to rediscover insights over time

Digital Preservation Library

Archive important web content before it disappears, maintaining permanent local copies with full-text search across your entire collection

Tech snapshot

Python69%
HTML20%
CSS11%

Tags

note-takingknowledgehacktoberfestproductivitydigital-brainpythonelasticsearchcliknowledge-base

Frequently asked questions

How does Archivy preserve bookmarked web content?

When you add a bookmark, Archivy automatically downloads and saves the complete web page content locally, ensuring permanent access even if the original site goes offline or changes.

What format does Archivy use to store notes?

All content is stored as extended markdown files with YAML front matter, making them human-readable and editable in any text editor without requiring the application.

Can multiple users access the same Archivy instance?

Currently Archivy is designed for single-user deployment. A multi-user system with permission controls is planned for future releases according to the roadmap.

What are the installation requirements?

Archivy requires Python and can be installed via pip. For advanced search features, Elasticsearch is needed. Docker installation is also available as an alternative deployment method.

How does the plugin system work?

Archivy provides an extensible plugin system and API that allows power users to customize functionality, integrate with external services, and automate their knowledge management workflows.

Project at a glance

Dormant
Stars
3,252
Watchers
3,252
Forks
118
LicenseMIT
Repo age5 years old
Last commit2 years ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languagePython

Last synced 51 minutes ago