AFFiNE Review

AFFiNE says docs and whiteboard are fully merged: rich text, sticky notes, embedded web pages, multi-view databases, linked pages, shapes, and slides can all sit on one canvas, in either a page mode or an edgeless infinite-canvas mode. Data is meant to stay on your own disk (the README says you always own your data on your disk), with optional real-time sync and collaboration across the web app and clients built with Electron. AFFiNE AI can turn outlines into slides, summarize articles into mind maps, organize task backlogs, and generate prototypes from a prompt. OpenAlternative also lists Kanban boards, templates, and real-time collaboration. The README says the plugin community and third-party blocks are coming soon, and that the Enterprise Edition (with SSO, rebranding, and audit tools) is yet to be published.

Docker is the main self-hosting route, with one-click deploys on Render and Sealos, local builds described in BUILDING.md, and a Codespaces option, and the README gives no system requirements. The official self-hosting documentation page we tried was not available to us (it returned a payment-required error), so check the current docs for services, environment variables, and upgrade steps. The pricing page lists a Self-Hosted FOSS tier at $0 and a Self-Hosted Team tier at $10 per seat, and states that the backend uses the AFFiNE Enterprise Edition license, so without a commercial agreement you may review that source only. It is inconsistent about whether self-hosting is free for up to 10 seats or whether the $10 per seat tier applies from 10 seats, so confirm with AFFiNE before relying on either figure.

The editor feels like a document, and you can flip it into an edgeless canvas for visual thinking, which is the defining experience. Local-first storage means notes work offline and you can keep unlimited local workspaces on the free plan, with up to 3 login devices. This section reflects the README, pricing page, and OpenAlternative; we did not use AFFiNE hands-on.

• Docs and an edgeless infinite canvas in the same workspace
• Multi-view databases, Kanban boards, sticky notes, shapes, and slides
• Local-first storage with optional sync and real-time collaboration
• AFFiNE AI for slides, mind maps, task organization, and prototypes
• Web app and Electron-based clients
• Self-hosting with Docker and an MIT editor

• The best open-source blend of notes and whiteboard in one tool, with about 73,000 stars
• Local-first by design, with unlimited local workspaces on the free plan
• Free cloud plan with 10 GB of storage and a low-cost Pro plan
• Active development: commits within hours of this review

• The backend's enterprise license limits modification and redistribution without a commercial agreement
• The plugin system and third-party blocks are not available yet, and the Enterprise Edition is unreleased according to the README
• Self-hosting terms are described inconsistently across the README and pricing page, and the official self-hosting docs were not reachable when we checked
• Free cloud plan is limited to 3 members per workspace, 10 MB files, and 7 days of version history
• AI is a paid add-on

Free: $0 with 10 GB of storage, 10 MB files, up to 3 members, 7 days of version history, unlimited local workspaces, and up to 3 login devices. Pro: $6.75/month with 100 GB, 100 MB files, up to 10 members, and 30 days of history, adding community support and real-time collaboration for more people. Team: $10/seat/month with 100 GB plus 20 GB per seat, 500 MB files, multiple admin roles, and priority support. Believer: $499.99 one-time lifetime personal plan with 1 TB. Enterprise: custom, with 100 or more seats suggested. AFFiNE AI is an add-on at $8.9/month billed annually, and annual billing saves 15%. Self-hosted tiers are listed at $0 (FOSS) and $10/seat (Team).

Notion is the dominant all-in-one workspace, with deep databases, templates, and integrations but a cloud-only model. AFFiNE brings a similar block model and adds a first-class whiteboard (the Miro side), with local-first storage and an optional self-hosted deployment. OneNote and Confluence are narrower note and wiki tools. If you want visual thinking and offline-first notes more than a huge integration catalog, AFFiNE is the more interesting open option.

• People who think visually and want docs and whiteboards together
• Local-first users who want their data on their own disk
• Small teams that want a lower-cost alternative to Notion plus Miro

• Teams that need a permissive license on the backend for modification or resale
• Organizations that depend on a large plugin and integration ecosystem today
• Anyone who needs enterprise SSO and audit tools right now