If you use Notion for documents and Miro or FigJam for visual planning, you are running two separate tools and paying for two separate subscriptions to cover ground that one project handles together. AFFiNE (pronounced "a-fine") is a local-first workspace, meaning your data lives on your machine by default and no account is required, that combines a document editor, an infinite whiteboard canvas, and database blocks in a single app. The project has 70,919 stars on GitHub and is MIT-licensed, which means it is free to use and modify for any purpose.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| What it is | Local-first document and whiteboard workspace |
| Built by | AFFiNE team (Toeverything) |
| License | MIT -- free to use and modify |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux (desktop app); web (self-hosted) |
| Requires | Desktop app download or Docker for self-hosted sync server |
| Install method | Download from affine.pro or GitHub Releases |
| Verdict | Install if you want a Notion alternative with offline-first data and a built-in whiteboard |
What AFFiNE actually is
AFFiNE is a local-first workspace. Local-first means the application stores all your data as files on your own machine rather than uploading them to a company's server. You can open and edit your notes, diagrams, and databases without an internet connection and without creating an account.
The project is built around two views of the same content that you can switch between at any time. Page mode is a block-based document editor where you write text, insert images, embed databases, and nest pages inside pages, similar to Notion. Edgeless mode is an infinite canvas -- an unlimited visual workspace where you place text boxes, sticky notes, shapes, connectors, and embedded documents anywhere on a 2D plane, similar to Miro or FigJam. The same page can be read as a structured document or zoomed out and rearranged as a visual board depending on which view you open.
The codebase is TypeScript (a programming language that adds type checking to JavaScript, commonly used for web application frontends) and Rust. TypeScript handles the editor and frontend; Rust handles the local data layer for speed and reliability. The MIT license (a permissive open-source license that lets you use, modify, and distribute the software for any purpose including commercial use without restrictions) means there are no licensing traps if you deploy it inside your organization.
What you get after installing it
AFFiNE ships with four capabilities that non-coders use daily.
Document editing in Page mode supports headings, paragraphs, bullet and numbered lists, code blocks, callouts, toggles, tables, and embedded images. The editor is block-based, meaning each paragraph or element is a discrete unit you can drag, duplicate, or convert to a different type. You can link between pages with @-mention syntax (typing @ followed by a page name to create a clickable cross-reference) and organize pages in a sidebar hierarchy.
The infinite canvas in Edgeless mode is where AFFiNE separates itself from pure document tools. You switch to it with a single toggle in the toolbar. Once there, you can place any document block as a floating element, draw freehand, drop in image frames, and connect elements with arrows to map out workflows, meeting notes, or system diagrams visually. The canvas has no boundary, so there is no running out of space.
Database blocks work similarly to Notion databases. You embed a table or board inside any document and define columns with types: text, number, date, checkbox, select, multi-select, and URL. You can view the same data as a table, a kanban board (a column-based layout where each item is a card you drag between stages like To Do, In Progress, and Done), or a calendar. This means a project brief and its linked task board can live in the same document.
AI assistance is available as an opt-in feature. You connect your own API key from Anthropic (the company that makes Claude), OpenAI, or another provider. Because you supply the key, your notes do not go through AFFiNE's servers, and you keep full control of which model handles your data. The AI can draft text, summarize a page, translate content, and answer questions about the document you have open. For non-coders running AI agents through tools like Claude Code or ChatGPT Work, this is a meaningful detail: the AI layer connects to the same models those agents use, so AFFiNE can serve as a working surface alongside your agent workflows.
Export covers PDF, Markdown (a plain-text formatting syntax that renders as styled text in most tools), HTML, and PNG. Markdown export is clean enough to use for handoff between AFFiNE and other tools.
The install experience
Download the desktop app from affine.pro or from the GitHub Releases page. Installers exist for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), Windows, and Linux. The macOS disk image is a standard drag-to-Applications install. The Linux release ships as an AppImage (a portable single-file format that runs on most Linux distributions without installation) or a DEB package for Ubuntu and Debian-based systems.
First launch goes straight to a workspace. No sign-in prompt, no email required. You create a page and start writing. AFFiNE stores all data in a local database on your machine. Nothing leaves your device unless you choose to enable sync.
Device sync across macOS, Windows, or Linux machines requires the AFFiNE cloud account (free tier available) or a self-hosted sync server. The self-hosted path uses Docker (a tool that packages software and all its dependencies so it runs consistently on any machine). AFFiNE's server image is available on Docker Hub (Docker's public registry where pre-built server packages are distributed) and the setup guide walks through the environment variables (configuration settings you pass to the server before it starts, like database connection strings and storage paths) step by step. Budget 30 to 60 minutes for a first-time Docker setup if you have not worked with it before.
For teams, the self-hosted server supports multiple users and workspace sharing. The cloud option removes the server setup entirely if data control is not the priority.
Where it fits and what to compare it to
Notion is the direct comparison for the document and database half of AFFiNE. Notion is cloud-only with no local storage option. All data lives on Notion's servers, and a subscription is required for most team features. AFFiNE's advantage is local-first storage, offline access without any setup, and no subscription. Notion's advantage is a larger integration ecosystem (Zapier, Slack, Google Drive, and hundreds of others) and more mature collaboration features for large teams. If you are looking for a Notion replacement that keeps your data local, AFFiNE is the most feature-complete option with a whiteboard included.
Obsidian (a popular local-first note-taking app) stores notes as plain Markdown files on your disk. It is excellent for text-heavy knowledge management but has no whiteboard mode and no native database blocks. If your workflow mixes visual planning with structured data, Obsidian does not cover that ground. AFFiNE does.
Logseq (reviewed separately at agenthread.co/blog/logseq-knowledge-management-review) is a local-first outliner built around daily notes and linked references. Its graph view is better for personal knowledge management than AFFiNE's canvas, but Logseq has no infinite whiteboard and the database layer is less developed. The two tools complement each other; they do not replace each other.
AppFlowy (reviewed at agenthread.co) covers documents and databases in a Notion-like structure without a whiteboard. If you do not need the visual canvas and want a closer Notion feature parity, AppFlowy is worth comparing. If the whiteboard is a requirement, AFFiNE is the only open-source option that bundles it natively.
Verdict
Install AFFiNE if you want a Notion alternative that keeps your data local and also handles visual planning in the same app.
The combination of Page mode and Edgeless mode is genuinely useful rather than a marketing feature. Being able to turn a meeting document into a visual diagram without switching tools, or embed a task database inside a whiteboard frame, changes how you use a workspace. No other open-source project at this maturity level offers both in one download.
The gaps are worth knowing. Mobile apps exist but are less polished than the desktop experience. The integration ecosystem is smaller than Notion's. Real-time collaboration on a self-hosted server works but requires more setup than Notion's out-of-the-box sharing. The project is at a stable but still-maturing release version, and the interface occasionally shows rough edges in less-used features.
For solo knowledge workers, researchers, consultants, and non-coder AI agent operators who want a working surface that stores data locally and handles both documents and visual planning, AFFiNE is the install to make. The 70,919-star count reflects real production use across a large community, the MIT license removes any future pricing risk, and the self-hosted path is documented well enough that you do not need engineering help to set it up.