Notion
Miro
Key Features of AFFiNE
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Edgeless Canvas
Combine docs and whiteboards into a truly flexible space. Add rich text, sticky notes, embedded web content, slides, databases, and more, all on a boundless canvas. -
Multimodal AI Assistance
Generate mind maps, create slides, summarize articles, write reports, or even prototype apps, all with a single prompt. AFFiNE AI enhances every stage of your creative workflow. -
Local-First Architecture
Your data stays on your device by default. Cloud is optional, giving you full control over privacy and ownership. -
Real-Time Collaboration
Collaborate seamlessly with others in real-time, whether on the web or across platforms. -
Self-Host & Customize
Fully open source and self-hostable. Fork it, build on it, or shape it into your own platform. Plugin support is on the way. -
All-in-One Workspace
Notes, wikis, kanban boards, databases, whiteboards, and presentations, AFFiNE unifies it all. -
Visual & Text-Based Productivity
Switch effortlessly between typing, drawing, planning, and presenting, with no need to jump between different tools. -
Ready-to-Use Templates
Kickstart any project with structured templates tailored for different workflows and needs.
Why AFFiNE Might Just Replace Notion and Miro for You
When it comes to digital workspaces, tools like Notion and Miro have dominated the conversation. But there’s a new contender quietly making a big impact: AFFiNE (pronounced [ə‘fain]). More than a note-taking app or a collaborative whiteboard, AFFiNE is an open-source, privacy-first platform that blends planning, writing, drawing, and organizing into one seamless, edgeless experience.
An Operating System for Your Knowledge
At its core, AFFiNE is more than an app, it's a full-fledged operating system for organizing and interacting with knowledge. Imagine a space where your wiki, presentation slides, task boards, mind maps, and even prototype sketches live side by side. Instead of switching apps or breaking your workflow to adapt to tool limitations, AFFiNE lets your content grow naturally, block by block, page by page, on a fully flexible canvas.
Unlike conventional editors, where you might work inside confined blocks or limited views, AFFiNE lets you merge docs and whiteboards into a truly edgeless canvas. Whether you're crafting a project timeline, scribbling out ideas, or embedding a web page for reference, it's all possible in one place.
Creativity Unlocked with AI at Your Side
Working with AFFiNE feels like collaborating with a smart partner who understands how you think. Its built-in AI isn’t just for text suggestions, it helps you brainstorm, write reports, turn rough outlines into polished slide decks, generate mind maps from notes, and even prototype apps and web pages using a simple prompt.
Rather than treating AI as an afterthought, AFFiNE integrates it as a creative catalyst. It’s there to support your thinking, not replace it, speeding up the tedious tasks while you focus on the ideas that matter.
Local-First by Design, Collaborative by Default
AFFiNE respects ownership. Your data lives on your machine first, not trapped in someone else’s cloud. But it also supports real-time collaboration across devices and platforms, making it ideal for both solo creators and distributed teams. You get the best of both worlds: total control and seamless sharing.
And for those who want even more autonomy, AFFiNE is self-hostable. You can fork it, build on it, customize it, and soon, you’ll be able to extend it even further with plugins and third-party blocks. It’s productivity infrastructure that grows with you.
Built on the Shoulders of Giants
AFFiNE’s foundation is inspired by the best: Notion’s block system, Trello’s kanban, Airtable’s programmable databases, and Miro’s edgeless whiteboards. But unlike these proprietary platforms, AFFiNE is open source, welcoming contributions from a global community and giving users the power to shape the future of the tool they use every day.
Real Users, Real Impact
What truly sets AFFiNE apart is how it’s resonating with real people.
For busy teams, it's a one-stop workspace that eliminates context switching. For students, it's an elegant tool for notes, tasks, and collaborative study. Designers love the infinite canvas for sketching and ideating. Developers appreciate its openness. And creators of all kinds find joy in the freedom to think, write, draw, and plan, all in one cohesive environment.
From freelancers organizing their life goals with kanban boards, to full-time parents managing chores and deadlines, AFFiNE adapts to each workflow without friction. It’s not just about replacing tools like Notion or Miro, it’s about rethinking what productivity software should feel like.
AFFiNE is still growing, and the community around it is vibrant and enthusiastic. If you're looking for a space where your thoughts can run free, backed by powerful features and privacy-respecting design, it might be time to take a closer look.
Explore more and see what your creativity can do when it’s given the right space to grow.
