AFFiNE Review 2026: Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons
AFFiNE is an open-source, privacy-focused alternative to Notion and Miro that blends a document editor, whiteboard, and database into a single workspace. Here's an honest look at what it does well, what it costs, and how it compares to Notion AI and Obsidian.
Quick Verdict
Best for: Privacy-conscious teams and visual thinkers who want docs and a whiteboard in one workspace. Less ideal for teams that rely heavily on Notion's deep template ecosystem.
What Is AFFiNE?
AFFiNE is an open-source workspace that blends a document editor, a whiteboard, and a database into a single tool. Its standout feature is the ability to switch instantly between a linear "Page" view and a spatial "Edgeless" canvas view for the same content, letting users move fluidly between writing and visual thinking without exporting to a separate app.
Because it's fully open-source, AFFiNE can be self-hosted for free, giving privacy-conscious teams and individuals complete control over where their data lives. A free cloud tier is also available for those who want hosted sync and real-time collaboration without running their own server, alongside an integrated AI assistant for drafting and brainstorming.
AFFiNE positions itself as a Notion alternative for docs and a Miro alternative for whiteboarding — combined into one file, one workspace, and one price point (free, or paid for team features).
AFFiNE Pros & Cons
✓ Pros
- •The Page-to-Canvas toggle is a genuine differentiator: switching instantly between a linear document view and a spatial whiteboard for the same content is something neither Notion nor Miro offers on its own
- •Open-source and self-hostable: teams that need total control over their data can run AFFiNE on their own infrastructure at no cost, which matters for privacy-conscious or regulated organizations
- •Strong privacy guarantees: a local-first data model means content isn't locked into a proprietary cloud by default, unlike most comparable workspace tools
- •Combines the best of Notion and Miro in one file: no more maintaining a separate doc for specs and a separate board for brainstorming — both views stay linked to the same underlying content
- •Rapidly improving feature set and active community: as an open-source project it ships frequently, and community contributions are pushing the roadmap forward quickly
- •Database blocks for structured data: built-in support for structured, Notion-style databases inside the same workspace as docs and canvases
✗ Cons
- •Performance can be uneven on very complex canvases: large whiteboards with many elements can start to lag, especially compared to a mature, purpose-built tool like Miro
- •UI can feel cluttered when switching modes: the dual-mode design is powerful but adds visual complexity that takes some getting used to versus a single-purpose editor
- •Less mature ecosystem of templates than Notion: Notion's years of community template-building give it a depth of ready-made structures AFFiNE hasn't caught up to yet
- •Mobile experience still lags behind desktop: as with many open-source productivity tools, mobile polish trails the desktop app, which matters if you plan to capture notes on the go
AFFiNE Pricing 2026
Free (Self-Hosted)
- •Full open-source codebase
- •Unlimited self-hosting
- •Page and Edgeless (canvas) modes
- •Database blocks
Privacy-conscious users and teams wanting total data control
Free (Cloud)
- •Hosted cloud sync
- •Real-time collaboration
- •Page and Edgeless modes
- •Integrated AI assistant
Individuals wanting a Notion-style experience without self-hosting
Team / Pro
- •Everything in Free Cloud
- •Team collaboration features
- •Priority support
- •Expanded storage
Teams standardizing on AFFiNE for shared workspaces
AFFiNE vs Notion AI vs Obsidian
| Feature | AFFiNE | Notion AI | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doc + canvas in one file | ✅ Instant toggle between modes | ❌ Docs only, no canvas mode | ⚠️ Canvas plugin, separate from notes |
| Self-hosting | ✅ Fully open-source, free | ❌ Cloud-only | ✅ Local-first by design |
| Real-time collaboration | ✅ Yes, on cloud tier | ✅ Industry-leading | ⚠️ Requires paid Sync add-on |
| Template ecosystem | ⚠️ Growing, less mature | ✅ Massive community library | ✅ Large plugin/template ecosystem |
| Structured databases | ✅ Built-in database blocks | ✅ Industry-leading databases | ⚠️ Requires plugins |
| Best for | Privacy-focused teams wanting docs + canvas in one | Teams wanting the deepest template and integration ecosystem | Individuals wanting a local-first personal knowledge base |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AFFiNE free?
Yes — AFFiNE is fully open-source and free to self-host with no feature restrictions. A free cloud tier is also available for users who want hosted sync and real-time collaboration without managing their own server, with paid team plans available for larger groups.
What makes AFFiNE different from Notion?
AFFiNE's core differentiator is the instant toggle between a linear 'Page' view and a spatial 'Edgeless' canvas view for the same content — Notion has no native whiteboard mode. AFFiNE is also open-source and self-hostable, while Notion is cloud-only.
AFFiNE vs Notion: which is better?
Notion has a far more mature template and integration ecosystem, making it the safer choice for teams that rely on a large library of ready-made workflows. AFFiNE is better for privacy-conscious users or teams that want self-hosting and a built-in whiteboard mode alongside docs, without paying for separate tools.
Can I self-host AFFiNE?
Yes — self-hosting is a core part of AFFiNE's open-source design and is completely free. This gives privacy-focused teams and individuals full control over where their data lives, which is not possible with cloud-only tools like Notion.
Is AFFiNE good for both notes and whiteboarding?
Yes — that dual-purpose design is AFFiNE's main selling point. You can brainstorm visually in Edgeless (canvas) mode and switch instantly to Page mode to write structured notes from the same file, instead of maintaining separate tools for each.
Explore More Productivity Tools
See how AFFiNE compares to other productivity and workspace tools.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, AISO Tools may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects our rankings or reviews.
📬 Get the best new AI tools delivered weekly
One concise email with fresh launches, trending picks, and featured standouts.
Join thousands of professionals who discover the best AI tools every week. No spam — unsubscribe anytime.