Everything You Need to Learn & Collaborate
Built for developers, teams, students, and enterprises who want to learn faster and collaborate smarter.
Real-Time Chat
Slack-like messaging
Rich Text Pages
Notion-like editor
Customizable Databases
PostgreSQL powered
Local-First Architecture
SQLite + sync
Real-Time Chat
WebSocket-powered instant messaging with CRDTs for seamless concurrent editing and offline-first architecture.
Team Communication
Replace Slack with privacy-focused messaging
Real-Time Sync
WebSocket-powered instant updates
Global Search
Find any message across all channels
Technical Features
Complete Feature Set
Beyond the core features, BrainBox includes everything you need for complete team collaboration.
Privacy by Design
End-to-end encryption, zero tracking, and complete data ownership.
- AES-256 encryption for data at rest and in transit
- Zero-knowledge architecture
- No telemetry or behavior tracking
- GDPR and SOC2 compliant deployment
- Self-hosted data control
- Regular security audits
File Management
Secure S3-compatible file storage with advanced permissions.
- S3-compatible storage backends
- Advanced file permissions
- File versioning and backups
- Drag-and-drop uploads
- Document preview generation
- Bulk operations support
Team Workspaces
Multi-tenant workspaces with role-based access control.
- Multi-tenant architecture
- Role-based access control
- Team and project organization
- Workspace customization
- Cross-workspace collaboration
- Activity feeds and notifications
Developer Ready
Open source with modern architecture and comprehensive APIs.
- Apache 2.0 license
- TypeScript throughout
- Modern React + Fastify stack
- Docker/Kubernetes ready
- Comprehensive API docs
- Active contribution community
What's Coming Next
Exciting AI-powered features in development to make BrainBox your ultimate learning companion.
AI Learning Assistant
Your personal AI that helps you learn faster, understand complex topics, and connect knowledge across your documents.
Custom Themes
Personalize your workspace with custom themes, colors, and layouts that match your style and workflow.
Tool Integrations
Free integrations with Slack, Gmail, and other essential tools to streamline your workflow.
Built by @kritix
Solo developer passionate about minimal design and making the best software free. Part of the 3pe1x mission to make learning, developing, and documenting better for everyone.
🙏 Special thanks to the Colanode team for creating the amazing foundation that made BrainBox possible. This project builds upon their excellent work and takes it in new directions with AI-powered features and enhanced collaboration.
BrainBox is a fork of Colanode, improved with additional features, AI integration, and a focus on learning workflows.
"Making learning, developing, and documenting experiences better — one commit at a time."
Your Second Brain, Your Rules
Unlike cloud platforms that monetize your knowledge, BrainBox keeps your second brain truly private and under your control.
Self-Hosted
Deploy on your own servers or cloud infrastructure
End-to-End Encryption
All data encrypted in transit and at rest
Open Source
Transparent code you can audit and modify
Perfect for Everyone
Developers
Code docs, project notes, API references
Teams
Collaborative wikis, shared knowledge
Students
Study notes, research, assignments
Enterprises
Secure documentation, compliance
Why BrainBox vs Notion?
- AI-powered learning assistant (coming soon)
- Local-first, works offline
- Free forever, no user limits
- Your data never leaves your servers
Deploy Anywhere, Own Everything
Free beta now available. Self-host with Docker/Kubernetes for complete control over your data.
System Requirements
Database
PostgreSQL 14+ with pgvector extension
Cache & Queue
Redis 6+ for sessions and real-time features
File Storage
S3-compatible storage (AWS S3, MinIO, etc.)
💡 Professional plans coming soon with managed hosting, priority support, and advanced enterprise features