AFFiNE
Notion and a whiteboard had one child, then let it keep files locally.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-10
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Free tier / Free tool)
- License
- MIT
- Hosting Model
- Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud)
- Platforms
- desktopmobilewebself-hostedone-click install
- Installation
- Hosted signup or desktop app; Docker Compose for self-hosting
- Operational Setup
- The hosted/desktop app installs cleanly; self-hosting is a multi-service Docker deployment that needs a domain, TLS, secrets, storage, backups, and AI-provider keys for AI features
- Where Your Data Lives
- Local-first clients keep workspace data locally and sync to AFFiNE Cloud or the operator's server; self-hosting uses PostgreSQL, Redis, and persistent blob storage
- The Catch / Trade-off
- AFFiNE combines documents, canvases, and databases but does not match Anytype's type-and-relation-first object graph or encrypted peer-space model.
Replaces 11 paid apps
up to $56.99/mo ($684/yr) in subscriptions
AFFiNE FAQ
Common questions
Is AFFiNE free and open source?+
AFFiNE is a free tool that runs on local or hosted. Notion and a whiteboard had one child, then let it keep files locally.
What paid software does AFFiNE replace?+
AFFiNE serves as a free replacement for 11 paid SaaS applications: Anytype, Craft, Excalidraw+, Heptabase, Lucidspark, Milanote, MindMeister, Miro, Notion, Whimsical, Xmind, saving up to $56.99/month ($684/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up AFFiNE?+
Installation: Hosted signup or desktop app; Docker Compose for self-hosting. Setup notes: The hosted/desktop app installs cleanly; self-hosting is a multi-service Docker deployment that needs a domain, TLS, secrets, storage, backups, and AI-provider keys for AI features
What is the catch or trade-off with AFFiNE?+
AFFiNE combines documents, canvases, and databases but does not match Anytype's type-and-relation-first object graph or encrypted peer-space model.