AFFiNE
Local-first workspace that merges docs, whiteboard and tables on one canvas, with optional AI and self-hosting.
A local-first Notion and Miro alternative with real-time sync and optional AI.
AFFiNE puts documents, an infinite whiteboard and databases in one workspace that keeps your data on your own disk first. It suits individuals and small teams who want a Notion-plus-Miro tool and are fine reading licence terms before self-hosting.
What it is
Any block, from rich text and sticky notes to embedded pages, multi-view databases, shapes and slides, can sit on the same edgeless canvas as your docs. It syncs in real time across web and cross-platform clients, and an optional AFFiNE AI helps write, make mind maps and turn outlines into slides.
Who it's for
Suits people who like to think visually and want local-first storage, and teams that can pay for the cloud or manage a Docker deployment. It is not clearly free for company-wide self-hosting, because part of the backend sits under an enterprise licence.
Key features
Docs and canvas merged
Place text, sticky notes, embeds, databases and slides on one edgeless canvas instead of switching tools.
Local-first storage
Your workspace lives on your disk, with optional cloud sync and real-time collaboration.
AFFiNE AI
Write, rewrite, summarise into mind maps and turn outlines into presentations (beta) from inside the workspace.
Multi-view databases
Tables of data can be shown in more than one view and dropped onto the canvas.
Self-host option
The README points to Docker-based self-hosting docs and one-click deploys on Render and Sealos.
Template gallery
Prebuilt templates such as planners, lesson plans and Cornell notes are published on the site.
Up and running in 3 steps
Our honest verdict
What's great
- Docs, whiteboard and databases share one canvas, so a plan can mix a written brief, sketches and a table without exports.
- Local-first design means you can work offline on unlimited local workspaces and keep your own copy of the data.
- The editor is MIT-licensed, so the front-end building blocks are open for inspection and reuse.
- The site shows a Believer one-time plan, which suits people who dislike subscriptions.
Where it falls short
- The licence is mixed: the root is MIT, but packages/backend and common/native fall under an AFFiNE Enterprise Edition licence that requires an agreement and subscription to use in production.
- Self-hosting means running the full server stack with Docker; you operate and back it up.
- The free cloud plan is limited to 10 GB, 3 members per workspace and 7 days of version history per the pricing page.
- AFFiNE AI is a paid add-on, and the website pricing mentions features such as auto-sort and auto-tag as coming soon.
Pricing & license
The editor is MIT and local workspaces are free. The AFFiNE pricing page (https://affine.pro/pricing) shows a free cloud plan, Pro at $6.75/month, Team at $10/seat/month, a $499.99 Believer plan, and AFFiNE AI at $8.9/month billed annually. Self-hosted Team is $10/seat/month billed annually; enterprise terms are custom.
Open remote AI-training roles
870 open remote AI-training roles, updated November 14, 2026; most pay $20–$170 an hour. Zekai lists them free; the application goes to the employer’s platform.
Alternatives
These reviewed AI tools do the same job instantly — from our scored directory.
Use it, or have us set it up
FAQ
Is AFFiNE free to self-host?
Open components such as the MIT editor need no subscription, but the LICENSE says the backend and common/native directories are under an Enterprise Edition licence needing a subscription for production use. Check your exact release.
Does it work offline?
The README describes it as local-first, so you keep your data on disk with unlimited local workspaces on the pricing page.
What do the paid plans cost?
The pricing page shows Pro at $6.75 per month, Team at $10 per seat per month, a $499.99 Believer lifetime plan, and AFFiNE AI at $8.9 per month billed annually.
