AFFiNE

Docs and an infinite whiteboard that are the same document.

By TOEVERYTHING · since 2022 · affine.pro · Open source

7.6

B+ · out of 10

AFFiNE puts a page mode and an edgeless canvas mode on every document, so a written note can be dragged onto a whiteboard and rearranged with mind maps and shapes. It is open source, local-first, self-hostable, and it also has an AI assistant. Ambitious, and still visibly maturing.

How it scores

  • Features25% of score

    7.4

    Depth and breadth of what the app can do.

  • Ease of use20% of score

    7.2

    Speed, polish and how long it takes to feel at home.

  • AI15% of score

    7.2

    Quality and usefulness of the built-in AI, not just its presence.

  • Sync & reliability15% of score

    7.0

    How dependably notes move between devices.

  • Value15% of score

    8.4

    What you get for what you pay.

  • Platform coverage10% of score

    9.4

    How many places you can actually use it.

Pricing

$8.90/month · $81/year

Free tier: Full local use and a free cloud tier with storage limits.

AFFiNE Cloud Pro is around $8.90/month, cheaper yearly. Self-hosting is free.

Platforms

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Web

49 tracked features supported

What it does well

  • Page and whiteboard are two views of one document, not two files
  • Mind maps and diagrams built in, and the AI can lay a doc out as slides on the canvas
  • Open source, local-first and self-hostable
  • Free tier is usable rather than a teaser

Where it falls short

  • Still buggier than commercial rivals
  • Mobile apps trail the desktop, and nothing can be shared into them
  • No end-to-end encryption
  • Smaller ecosystem and fewer guides when you get stuck

Our take

The most interesting open source project in this list. Try it, but keep exports if it is holding critical work.

Best for: People who want Notion plus a whiteboard, on their own server.

All-in-one workspacePrivacy & ownershipLinked thinking / PKM

Feature by feature

YesPartlyVia pluginNo

Capture & input

How notes get into the app in the first place.

  • Voice recording
  • Audio transcription
  • Speaker identification
  • Meeting recording
  • Handwriting / stylus
  • Drawing canvas
  • OCR / handwriting search
  • Web clipper
  • Share extension
  • Quick capturePartly
  • Images
  • PDF & documents
  • Document scanning

Organization

How notes are structured, linked and found again.

  • Tags
  • Folders / notebooksPartly
  • Multi-level folders
  • Internal links
  • Backlinks
  • Graph view
  • Databases / boards
  • Daily notes / journalPartly
  • Note templatesPartly
  • Saved searches
  • Pins / favorites
  • Merge notes

AI

Assistants, generators and meaning-based search.

  • AI chat / writing assistant
  • AI agent with toolsPartly
  • Custom AI agents
  • Semantic searchPartly
  • AI web search
  • Connected apps for AI
  • Prompt templatesPartly
  • Custom AI instructionsPartly
  • AI memory
  • Scheduled AI tasks
  • Flashcard generator
  • Spaced repetition
  • Quiz generator
  • Fill in the blank
  • Mind maps
  • AI image generation
  • Infographic generator
  • Slide deck generator
  • AI mini appsPartly
  • Brainrot video generator
  • AI audio overview
  • Bring your own model
  • AI job notifications

Writing & editing

What the editor itself can actually do.

  • Markdown
  • Rich text
  • Code blocks
  • Math / LaTeX
  • Tables
  • Find and replace
  • Version history
  • Note infoPartly

Sync & data ownership

Where your notes live and how easily they leave.

  • Cloud sync
  • Sync through your own cloud
  • Offline support
  • Offline-first / own your data
  • Self-hosting
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Locked notes
  • Daily backupPartly
  • Import
  • Export
  • Public APIPartly
  • Command line tool
  • Remote MCP server
  • Plugins / extensionsPartly

Sharing & collaboration

Working with other people inside your notes.

  • Share with people
  • Real-time collaboration
  • CommentsPartly
  • Public sharing

Experience

The everyday polish around the writing surface.

  • Dark mode
  • Custom themesPartly
  • Multi-language
  • Command palette
  • Split view
  • Focus mode
  • Home screen widgets
  • Apple Shortcuts

Compare with

All AFFiNE alternatives

AFFiNE vs Grape

Adds: AI memory, Flashcard generator

9.0

AFFiNE vs Notion

The all-in-one workspace that swallowed the note app category.

8.5

AFFiNE vs Obsidian

Plain markdown files on your disk, with a plugin ecosystem bolted on top.

8.4

AFFiNE vs Craft

Documents that look designed before you touch anything.

8.1