At a Glance:
AFFiNE is a local-first, open-source all-in-one workspace that merges document editing, whiteboarding, and databases on a single edgeless canvas, offering a self-hostable alternative to Notion and Miro.
Overview:
AFFiNE is an open-source all-in-one workspace designed to serve as a knowledge base and creative platform. It merges rich-text documents, edgeless whiteboards, and multi-view database tables into a single hyper-fused canvas where any block type can be freely combined. The software is built as a local-first application, ensuring users keep their data on their own disks while still supporting real-time sync and collaboration across web and cross-platform clients. It includes a multimodal AI partner capable of generating mindmaps, presentation slides, and other assets, and provides the freedom to self-host, fork, or customize the platform using Docker.
Key Decision Points:
Local-first architecture: Your data is stored on your own disk by default, but AFFiNE also supports real-time synchronization and collaboration on web and cross-platform clients.
Self-hosting option: You can use Docker to deploy and manage your own instance, with full freedom to fork, build, and customize the platform.
Merged canvas experience: AFFiNE truly merges documents and whiteboards, allowing you to place rich text, sticky notes, embedded pages, shapes, and database views on a single edgeless canvas.
Block-based extensibility: Upcoming plugin support and third-party block contributions are planned, with integrations being built on the BlockSuite editor framework.
Core Features:
Edgeless hybrid canvas: Place and arrange any building block—rich text, sticky notes, embedded web pages, multi-view databases, linked pages, shapes, or slides—on a single borderless canvas.
Multimodal AI assistant: Use AFFiNE AI to generate professional reports, turn outlines into slides, summarize articles into mindmaps, organize tasks, or create prototype apps and web pages.
Local-first with real-time collaboration: Always own your data on your local disk while collaborating synchronously with others in real time.
Self-hostable platform: Deploy your own AFFiNE instance using Docker, with the ability to manage, fork, and build custom versions.
Pre-built templates: Access a library of community-contributed templates, including lesson plans, digital planners, reading logs, and note-taking formats.
Use Cases:
Individuals who want a local-first, privacy-focused workspace that combines document writing, visual whiteboarding, and database tables.
Teams looking to self-host a collaborative knowledge base that merges flexible note-taking with a creative, structure-free canvas.
Developers or tinkerers who wish to fork and customize an open-source workspace platform built on the BlockSuite editor engine.
Content creators needing an AI partner inside their workspace to generate mindmaps, presentation slides, and structured summaries.
Open-Source Alternative Value:
AFFiNE is openly developed and can be self-hosted via Docker, giving users control over deployment and data location while maintaining cross-device synchronization. As a local-first workspace that merges the document and whiteboard paradigms, it provides a transparent alternative to closed-source tools like Notion and Miro. The platform’s foundation on the open-source BlockSuite editor and its planned plugin ecosystem open a path for community extensions that are not possible in proprietary all-in-one suites.
