AFFiNE
There can be more than Notion and Miro. AFFiNE(pronounced [ə‘fain]) is a next-gen knowledge base that brings planning, sorting and creating all together. Privacy first, open-source, customizable and ready to use.
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Quick Overview
AFFiNE is an open-source, next-generation knowledge management and collaboration platform. It combines note-taking, knowledge base, and project management functionalities into a single, unified workspace. AFFiNE aims to provide a privacy-focused alternative to traditional productivity tools, offering both local-first and cloud-sync options.
Pros
- Versatile all-in-one solution for note-taking, knowledge management, and project planning
- Open-source and privacy-focused, with local-first storage options
- Sleek and intuitive user interface with block-based editing
- Cross-platform support (Web, Desktop, and Mobile)
Cons
- Still in active development, may have stability issues or missing features
- Learning curve for users accustomed to traditional note-taking or project management tools
- Limited third-party integrations compared to more established platforms
- Potential performance issues with large datasets or complex workspaces
Getting Started
To get started with AFFiNE:
- Visit the official website: https://affine.pro/
- Choose between the web version or download the desktop app for your operating system
- Create an account or start using the app locally
- Begin by creating a new page or workspace
- Explore the various features such as block editing, Kanban boards, and mind maps
For developers interested in contributing or self-hosting:
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/toeverything/AFFiNE.git
- Install dependencies:
pnpm install
- Start the development server:
pnpm dev
For more detailed instructions and documentation, refer to the project's GitHub repository and official documentation.
Competitor Comparisons
A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. Download link: http://github.com/logseq/logseq/releases. roadmap: http://trello.com/b/8txSM12G/roadmap
Pros of Logseq
- Open-source with a strong community and plugin ecosystem
- Offline-first approach with local file storage
- Advanced graph view for visualizing connections between notes
Cons of Logseq
- Steeper learning curve due to its outliner-based structure
- Limited collaboration features compared to AFFiNE
- Less emphasis on visual document editing and formatting
Code Comparison
Logseq (ClojureScript):
(defn get-block-property [block property-name]
(when-let [properties (:block/properties block)]
(get properties property-name)))
AFFiNE (TypeScript):
export function getBlockProperty(block: Block, propertyName: string): any {
return block.properties?.[propertyName];
}
Both projects use different programming languages, reflecting their architectural choices. Logseq's ClojureScript code showcases its functional programming approach, while AFFiNE's TypeScript demonstrates a more object-oriented style. The code snippets perform similar functions but with syntax and paradigm differences typical of their respective languages.
Community plugins list, theme list, and releases of Obsidian.
Pros of Obsidian-releases
- Mature and stable product with a large user base and extensive plugin ecosystem
- Offline-first approach, ensuring data privacy and local storage
- Powerful linking and graph visualization features for knowledge management
Cons of Obsidian-releases
- Closed-source core application, limiting community contributions to the main codebase
- Less collaborative features compared to AFFiNE's real-time editing capabilities
- Primarily focused on personal knowledge management, with fewer team-oriented features
Code Comparison
While both projects are primarily focused on note-taking and knowledge management, their codebases differ significantly due to their architectural approaches.
Obsidian (JavaScript/TypeScript):
export class MarkdownView extends TextFileView {
constructor(leaf: WorkspaceLeaf) {
super(leaf);
this.registerDomEvents();
}
}
AFFiNE (TypeScript/React):
export const Editor: React.FC<EditorProps> = ({ docId }) => {
const { doc } = useBlockSuiteDoc(docId);
return <BlockSuiteEditor doc={doc} />;
};
The code snippets highlight the different approaches: Obsidian uses a more traditional object-oriented structure, while AFFiNE leverages React components for its user interface.
A personal knowledge management and sharing system for VSCode
Pros of Foam
- Lightweight and flexible, integrating seamlessly with VS Code
- Extensive community-driven templates and extensions
- Strong focus on local-first, plain text storage for data ownership
Cons of Foam
- Less feature-rich compared to AFFiNE's all-in-one solution
- Limited built-in collaboration features
- Steeper learning curve for non-technical users
Code Comparison
Foam (JavaScript):
const foam = require('foam-core');
const workspace = foam.create();
workspace.notes.create('My first note');
AFFiNE (TypeScript):
import { Workspace } from '@affine/core';
const workspace = new Workspace();
workspace.createPage('My first page');
Summary
Foam excels in flexibility and integration with existing tools, while AFFiNE offers a more comprehensive, all-in-one solution. Foam is ideal for developers and power users comfortable with customization, whereas AFFiNE provides a more polished, user-friendly experience out of the box. The choice between them depends on individual preferences for customization versus convenience.
A privacy-first, self-hosted, fully open source personal knowledge management software, written in typescript and golang.
Pros of SiYuan
- More mature project with a larger user base and community
- Offers a desktop application for offline use
- Supports multiple languages and has extensive documentation
Cons of SiYuan
- Less focus on real-time collaboration features
- More complex setup and learning curve for new users
Code Comparison
SiYuan (Go):
func (box *Box) Index(docIDs []string) (err error) {
if 1 > len(docIDs) {
return
}
util.PushEndlessProgress(Conf.Language(116))
defer util.ClearPushProgress(100)
AFFiNE (TypeScript):
export const createPage = async (
workspace: Workspace,
parentId?: string,
title?: string
): Promise<PageMeta> => {
const page = await workspace.createPage({ parentId });
Both projects use different programming languages, with SiYuan primarily using Go and AFFiNE using TypeScript. SiYuan's code snippet shows indexing functionality, while AFFiNE's demonstrates page creation within a workspace.
Bring projects, wikis, and teams together with AI. AppFlowy is an AI collaborative workspace where you achieve more without losing control of your data. The best open source alternative to Notion.
Pros of AppFlowy
- More mature project with a larger community and more contributors
- Better documentation and user guides
- Cross-platform support (desktop and mobile)
Cons of AppFlowy
- Less focus on real-time collaboration features
- More complex setup process for developers
- Slower development pace compared to AFFiNE
Code Comparison
AppFlowy (Rust):
pub struct Document {
pub id: String,
pub name: String,
pub blocks: Vec<Block>,
}
AFFiNE (TypeScript):
interface Page {
id: string;
title: string;
content: BlockElement[];
}
Both projects use similar data structures for representing documents or pages, with AFFiNE using TypeScript and AppFlowy using Rust. The main difference lies in the naming conventions and specific implementation details.
AppFlowy's approach with Rust may offer better performance, while AFFiNE's TypeScript implementation could be more accessible to web developers. AFFiNE's structure seems more focused on block-based editing, which aligns with its collaborative nature.
Overall, AppFlowy offers a more established ecosystem and cross-platform support, while AFFiNE focuses on real-time collaboration and a more modern web-based approach. The choice between the two depends on specific project requirements and developer preferences.
Xournal++ is a handwriting notetaking software with PDF annotation support. Written in C++ with GTK3, supporting Linux (e.g. Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, SUSE), macOS and Windows 10. Supports pen input from devices such as Wacom Tablets.
Pros of Xournalpp
- Mature and stable project with a long development history
- Focused on handwriting and note-taking, providing a specialized experience
- Cross-platform support for Linux, Windows, and macOS
Cons of Xournalpp
- Limited collaboration features compared to AFFiNE's real-time collaboration
- Less emphasis on knowledge management and organization
- User interface may feel less modern compared to AFFiNE's sleek design
Code Comparison
Xournalpp (C++):
void XournalView::repaintPage(PageRef page) {
int p = page->getPdfPageNr();
XojPageView* view = viewPages[p];
view->repaintPage();
}
AFFiNE (TypeScript):
export const Page: React.FC<PageProps> = ({ pageId }) => {
const page = usePageData(pageId);
return <PageRenderer data={page} />;
};
While both projects serve note-taking purposes, they differ in implementation and focus. Xournalpp is a C++ application tailored for handwriting and annotation, while AFFiNE is a web-based platform built with modern web technologies, emphasizing collaboration and knowledge management.
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AFFiNE.PRO
Write, Draw and Plan All at Once
A privacy-focused, local-first, open-source, and ready-to-use alternative for Notion & Miro.
One hyper-fused platform for wildly creative minds.
Getting started & staying tuned with us.
Star us, and you will receive all release notifications from GitHub without any delay!
What is AFFiNE
AFFiNE is an open-source, all-in-one workspace and an operating system for all the building blocks that assemble your knowledge base and much more -- wiki, knowledge management, presentation and digital assets. It's a better alternative to Notion and Miro.
Features
A true canvas for blocks in any form. Docs and whiteboard are now fully merged.
- Many editor apps claim to be a canvas for productivity, but AFFiNE is one of the very few which allows you to put any building block on an edgeless canvas -- rich text, sticky notes, any embedded web pages, multi-view databases, linked pages, shapes and even slides. We have it all.
Multimodal AI partner ready to kick in any work
- Write up professional work report? Turn an outline into expressive and presentable slides? Summary an article into a well-structured mindmap? Sorting your job plan and backlog for tasks? Or... draw and code prototype apps and web pages directly all with one prompt? With you, AFFiNE AI pushes your creativity to the edge of your imagination.
Local-first & Real-time collaborative
- We love the idea of local-first that you always own your data on your disk, in spite of the cloud. Furthermore, AFFiNE supports real-time sync and collaborations on web and cross-platform clients.
Self-host & Shape your own AFFiNE
- You have the freedom to manage, self-host, fork and build your own AFFiNE. Plugin community and third-party blocks are coming soon. More tractions on Blocksuite. Check there to learn how to self-host AFFiNE.
Acknowledgement
âWe shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape usâ. A lot of pioneers have inspired us along the way, e.g.:
- Quip & Notion with their great concept of âeverything is a blockâ
- Trello with their Kanban
- Airtable & Miro with their no-code programmable datasheets
- Miro & Whimiscal with their edgeless visual whiteboard
- Remote & Capacities with their object-based tag system
There is a large overlap of their atomic âbuilding blocksâ between these apps. They are not open source, nor do they have a plugin system like Vscode for contributors to customize. We want to have something that contains all the features we love and also goes one step even further.
Thanks for checking us out, we appreciate your interest and sincerely hope that AFFiNE resonates with you! ðµ Checking https://affine.pro/ for more details ions.
Contributing
Bug Reports | Feature Requests | Questions/Discussions | AFFiNE Community |
---|---|---|---|
Create a bug report | Submit a feature request | Check GitHub Discussion | Vist the AFFiNE Community |
Something isn't working as expected | An idea for a new feature, or improvements | Discuss and ask questions | A place to ask, learn and engage with others |
Calling all developers, testers, tech writers and more! Contributions of all types are more than welcome, you can read more in docs/types-of-contributions.md. If you are interested in contributing code, read our docs/CONTRIBUTING.md and feel free to check out our GitHub issues to get stuck in to show us what youâre made of.
Before you start contributing, please make sure you have read and accepted our Contributor License Agreement. To indicate your agreement, simply edit this file and submit a pull request.
For bug reports, feature requests and other suggestions you can also create a new issue and choose the most appropriate template for your feedback.
For translation and language support you can visit our i18n General Space.
Looking for other ways to contribute and wondering where to start? Check out the AFFiNE Ambassador program, we work closely with passionate community members and provide them with a wide range of support and resources.
If you have questions, you are welcome to contact us. One of the best places to get more info and learn more is in the AFFiNE Community where you can engage with other like-minded individuals.
Ecosystem
Name | ||
---|---|---|
@affine/component | AFFiNE Component Resources | |
@toeverything/theme | AFFiNE theme |
Upstreams
We would also like to give thanks to open-source projects that make AFFiNE possible:
- Blocksuite - ð BlockSuite is the open-source collaborative editor project behind AFFiNE.
- OctoBase - ð OctoBase is the open-source database behind AFFiNE, local-first, yet collaborative. A light-weight, scalable, data engine written in Rust.
- yjs - Fundamental support of CRDTs for our implementation on state management and data sync.
- electron - Build cross-platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
- React - The library for web and native user interfaces.
- napi-rs - A framework for building compiled Node.js add-ons in Rust via Node-API.
- Jotai - Primitive and flexible state management for React.
- async-call-rpc - A lightweight JSON RPC client & server.
- Vite - Next generation frontend tooling.
- Other upstream dependencies.
Thanks a lot to the community for providing such powerful and simple libraries, so that we can focus more on the implementation of the product logic, and we hope that in the future our projects will also provide a more easy-to-use knowledge base for everyone.
Contributors
We would like to express our gratitude to all the individuals who have already contributed to AFFiNE! If you have any AFFiNE-related project, documentation, tool or template, please feel free to contribute it by submitting a pull request to our curated list on GitHub: awesome-affine.
Self-Host
Begin with Docker to deploy your own feature-rich, unrestricted version of AFFiNE. Our team is diligently updating to the latest version. For more information on how to self-host AFFiNE, please refer to our documentation.
Hiring
Some amazing companies, including AFFiNE, are looking for developers! Are you interested in joining AFFiNE or its partners? Check out our Discord channel for some of the latest jobs available.
Feature Request
For feature requests, please see community.affine.pro.
Building
Codespaces
From the GitHub repo main page, click the green "Code" button and select "Create codespace on master". This will open a new Codespace with the (supposedly auto-forked AFFiNE repo cloned, built, and ready to go.
Local
See BUILDING.md for instructions on how to build AFFiNE from source code.
Contributing
We welcome contributions from everyone. See docs/contributing/tutorial.md for details.
Thanks
Thanks to Chromatic for providing the visual testing platform that helps us review UI changes and catch visual regressions.
License
Editions
-
AFFiNE Community Edition (CE) is the current available version, it's free for self-host under the MIT license.
-
AFFiNE Enterprise Edition (EE) is yet to be published, it will have more advanced features and enterprise-oriented offerings, including but not exclusive to rebranding and SSO, advanced admin and audit, etc., you may refer to https://affine.pro/pricing for more information
See LICENSE for details.
Top Related Projects
A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. Download link: http://github.com/logseq/logseq/releases. roadmap: http://trello.com/b/8txSM12G/roadmap
Community plugins list, theme list, and releases of Obsidian.
A personal knowledge management and sharing system for VSCode
A privacy-first, self-hosted, fully open source personal knowledge management software, written in typescript and golang.
Bring projects, wikis, and teams together with AI. AppFlowy is an AI collaborative workspace where you achieve more without losing control of your data. The best open source alternative to Notion.
Xournal++ is a handwriting notetaking software with PDF annotation support. Written in C++ with GTK3, supporting Linux (e.g. Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, SUSE), macOS and Windows 10. Supports pen input from devices such as Wacom Tablets.
Convert designs to code with AI
Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot