AFFiNE (affine.pro) is an open-source, all-in-one knowledge workspace that puts documents, an edgeless whiteboard, databases, and an AI assistant on a single canvas; the official site positions it as "the open-source Notion & Miro alternative" (homepage, checked 2026-10-01). Unlike most "docs tool plus whiteboard tool" combinations, the same piece of content in AFFiNE can switch between a structured page mode and a freeform whiteboard mode, with paragraphs, sticky notes, embedded web pages, and database views carrying over between the two. The project was founded in 2022 by Singapore-based TOEVERYTHING, is released under a mixed license (MIT for most of the codebase, an Enterprise Edition license for the backend), and can be used via the hosted AFFiNE Cloud, cross-platform apps, or a Docker self-hosted deployment.
The screenshot above shows the AFFiNE homepage: the hero line sums up the write/draw/plan positioning, and the subheading describes a workspace with "fully merged docs, whiteboards and databases." The preview below shows the actual product — a document that can toggle between page mode and the Edgeless whiteboard mode. The navigation bar displays the GitHub star count (73,152 at capture time).
At a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| URL | https://affine.pro/ |
| Type | Open-source all-in-one workspace (docs + whiteboard + databases + AI) |
| Cost | Free for local use and self-hosting; hosted cloud has a free tier, Pro at 10/seat/mo (pricing, as of 2026-10-01) |
| Account | Not required for local/offline use; cloud sync and collaboration require an AFFiNE Cloud account (free tier limited to 3 signed-in devices) |
| Platforms | Web, macOS 11+, Windows 10+, Linux (AppImage/deb/Flatpak), iOS, Android, plus a Chrome web clipper (download page) |
| UI languages | The app ships 26 locale resource files including Simplified and Traditional Chinese; the marketing site itself is available in 9 languages (including Traditional Chinese, not Simplified) |
| License | Mixed: MIT for most of the code; packages/backend and packages/common/native under the AFFiNE EE license (repo LICENSE) |
| Launched | 2022 (company founded in Singapore; GitHub repository created 2022-07-31) |
Background
- Developed and operated by TOEVERYTHING PTE. LTD. and its affiliates, founded in Singapore in 2022 with a fully remote team; the About page names Vincent Chen as CEO (About).
- The main repository toeverything/AFFiNE was created on 2022-07-31 and, as of 2026-10-01, has 73,152 stars and 5,319 forks; it is written mostly in TypeScript and was still seeing daily commits and canary builds in late September 2026 (GitHub API, as of 2026-10-01).
- The current stable release is 0.27.4 (published 2026-08-18); there is no 1.0 yet, while the canary channel ships near-daily builds (GitHub Releases).
- The team also maintains the open-source editor framework BlockSuite and the OctoBase collaboration layer; AFFiNE's editor is built on BlockSuite (site footer and README).
Core Capabilities: One Canvas for Docs, Whiteboard, and Databases
- Docs and whiteboard fused: content is organized as blocks; Page mode is a structured document, Edgeless mode turns the same content into an infinite whiteboard mixing text, sticky notes, shapes, embedded web pages, and database views — what AFFiNE calls a "hyper-fused" platform (homepage).
- Databases with multiple views: database blocks can be embedded in docs and switched between table, kanban, and other views for planning and tracking.
- Presentations and templates: whiteboard content can be framed and played as slides; the official template gallery ships digital planners, Cornell notes, storyboards, and more (homepage).
- AFFiNE AI: a paid assistant ($8.9/mo billed annually) covering drafting, rewriting, translation, spelling and grammar fixes, outline-to-presentation generation (Beta), and summary-to-mind-map conversion (pricing, AI page). The privacy policy states that AI input data is used only to generate the requested output, is not used to train foundation models, and is transmitted to third-party providers (OpenAI or Anthropic) without being retained by them for training (privacy policy).
- Local-first and offline: the desktop apps work fully offline with data stored on the device, syncing to the cloud once signed in (download page).
Cloud Pricing (as of 2026-10-01)
Prices and quotas below are from the pricing page with annual billing selected (the page advertises 15% savings for annual billing and does not show month-to-month prices directly):
| Plan | Price | Key quotas |
|---|---|---|
| Free (Local FOSS + Cloud Basic) | Free, no time limit | Local: unlimited local workspaces and Doc/Edgeless editing. Cloud: 10 GB storage, 10 MB max file size, up to 3 members per workspace, 7-day version history, up to 3 signed-in devices |
| Pro | $6.75/mo (billed annually) | 100 GB storage, 100 MB max file size, up to 10 members per workspace, 30-day version history |
| Team | $10/seat/mo | Everything in Pro, plus 100 GB base storage + 20 GB per seat, 500 MB max file size, unlimited members (10+ seats), multiple admin roles, priority support |
| Believer | $499.99 one-time | Lifetime personal Pro plus 1 TB cloud storage |
| AFFiNE AI add-on | $8.9/mo (billed annually) | Multimodal AI writing, drawing, and planning features |
| Enterprise / Code License | Custom | Commercial terms for 100+ seats, regulated industries, or OEM/white-label embedding |
The screenshot above shows the pricing page: the AFFiNE AI add-on (6.75/mo), and Team ($10/seat/mo) — below.
Accounts and Open Capabilities
- Sign-up: local use (including offline desktop work) needs no account; cloud sync and multiplayer collaboration require an AFFiNE Cloud account, with the free tier capped at 3 signed-in devices (pricing FAQ).
- Sync and collaboration: signed-in workspaces sync in real time and support live multi-user editing across docs and whiteboards; desktop clients can be pointed at a self-hosted server (self-host docs).
- MCP Server: AFFiNE ships a built-in Model Context Protocol server — free on AFFiNE Cloud and on self-hosted instances with AI features enabled — exposed at
POST /api/workspaces/{workspace-id}/mcp. Per-client, revocable credentials are scoped to a single workspace, and the default tools (doc_searchandread_document) let MCP clients such as Claude or Cursor search and read workspace content (MCP page). - Web Clipper: a Chrome extension for clipping web pages (linked from the download page).
Licensing and Self-Hosting
AFFiNE uses a "mostly open-source plus enterprise backend" model, which is the important caveat behind its open-source positioning:
- MIT parts: the root LICENSE places everything outside
packages/backendandpackages/common/native— including the frontend, desktop app, and the BlockSuite editor — under the MIT license. - EE parts: those backend directories fall under the AFFiNE Enterprise Edition license: production use requires compliance with the subscription terms and a valid enterprise subscription, while copying and modification for development and testing is allowed. The same text states that parts distributed as the Community Edition or served client-side are licensed under MPL 2.0. This mix is why the GitHub API reports the repo license as "Other / NOASSERTION."
- A tension in official messaging: the pricing FAQ says that without a commercial agreement the EE backend source is review-only, and that modifying, compiling, or redistributing it requires commercial authorization — while the self-host page FAQ states self-hosting "has no license fee" beyond your own infrastructure (self-host page, pricing FAQ). A reasonable reading: running the officially published Docker images is free, but modifying and redistributing the backend source needs a commercial agreement. Teams with compliance requirements should confirm directly with the vendor.
- Deployment requirements: Docker Compose is the recommended path; an instance consists of the AFFiNE server plus Postgres, Redis, and blob storage. For basic usage, plan for at least 4 CPU cores and 2 GB of RAM, and handle your own domain, HTTPS, backups, and upgrades in production (self-host docs). Self-hosted teams of 10+ seats have a paid Self-Hosted Team tier at $10/seat/mo with priority support and multi-admin roles (pricing).
The screenshot above shows the self-host page, which emphasizes open source, local-first design, and Docker deployment on your own infrastructure, alongside the GitHub star count, "Your servers, your data," and "Free to self-host" badges; the preview below shows AFFiNE's document interface.
Who It Fits
- Personal knowledge management: offline-capable notes and whiteboards with data stored locally, on a free tier with no time limit.
- Small-team docs and brainstorming: documents, kanban boards, and whiteboard sessions in one workspace instead of several tools.
- Data-sovereignty-conscious teams: Docker self-hosting keeps the knowledge base on infrastructure you control, for data-residency and compliance needs.
- AI-integrated workflows: the built-in MCP server exposes the knowledge base to clients like Claude or Cursor under scoped, revocable credentials.
Limitations
- Still 0.x: stable is 0.27.4 as of 2026-10-01 with no 1.0 release, so APIs and features may still change substantially.
- The backend is not OSI-approved open source: the EE license restricts production modification and redistribution of the backend source; users who require a fully open-source stack should take note (GitHub labels the license NOASSERTION).
- Limited free cloud tier: 10 GB storage, 3 members per workspace, 7-day version history, and 3 signed-in devices mean sustained team use effectively requires a paid plan.
- Weaker integration ecosystem: third-party integrations trail Notion's; AFFiNE's own About page concedes Notion is the better choice "if you need the broadest third-party integrations today" (About).
- Self-hosting overhead: you operate Postgres, Redis, storage, HTTPS, backups, and upgrades yourself; AI features require the paid add-on or your own AI API keys.
- Website languages: the marketing site offers 9 languages (Traditional Chinese included, Simplified Chinese not); Simplified Chinese is covered by the app UI only.
Alternatives
- Notion / Miro: AFFiNE's primary reference points — both closed-source cloud services. Notion leads on integrations, Miro on whiteboard maturity; AFFiNE differentiates on open source, local-first design, and the docs-whiteboard fusion (About).
- Obsidian: also local-first, but oriented toward single-user Markdown notes with a plugin ecosystem; AFFiNE emphasizes real-time collaboration and the canvas (About).
- Outline / BookStack / Docmost: reference points for self-hosted knowledge bases; all are docs/wiki-style tools. AFFiNE's own comparison (July 2026 snapshot) highlights its combined docs-plus-whiteboard pages, local-first design, and built-in AI (self-host page).
