AFFiNE

AFFiNE is an open-source, local-first Mac workspace that lets you work in a structured block-based document and an infinite spatial canvas simultaneously — same content, two completely different lenses, no duplication required.

What is AFFiNE?

AFFiNE is an open-source knowledge workspace that unifies a block-based document editor with an infinite-canvas whiteboard inside a single local-first Mac app. Every page you create exists in two modes at once: Page mode, a clean writing environment that behaves like a well-engineered block editor, and Edgeless mode, an infinite canvas where those same blocks become movable, connectable cards you can sketch around, annotate, and spatially arrange. Flip between the two with one click — the underlying content is identical either way.

That duality is genuinely rare. I spent weeks looking for a tool that could hold a structured meeting agenda and a sprawling architecture diagram without forcing me into two separate apps, two sync mechanisms, and two mental contexts. AFFiNE is the first I've found where neither mode feels bolted on.

What does AFFiNE do best?

Fluid switching between structured prose and spatial visual thinking — without ever duplicating or reformatting content — is AFFiNE's sharpest edge. In practice this means a sprint retrospective can live as a clean bullet-list doc in Page mode and a sticky-note cluster in Edgeless mode; a research note can become a mind-map mid-session.

The block editor handles Markdown shortcuts, slash commands, code blocks with syntax highlighting, tables, and an inline database grid similar in spirit to Notion's. The canvas adds freehand drawing, geometric shapes, directional arrows, connector lines, and embedded sub-pages as nested frames. Because both modes share the same block primitives, a bulleted list you type in a doc becomes a draggable card on the canvas instantly.

AFFiNE is also serious about local-first principles. Your workspace lives in a SQLite file on disk; the app runs fully offline with no account created. Optional AFFiNE Cloud sync layers in real-time collaboration — but it is genuinely opt-in, not a quiet dependency.

Is AFFiNE free?

Yes — the full desktop app is free to download and open-source under the MIT licence. Every feature in the native Mac app is available without spending anything or creating an account. AFFiNE Cloud, which adds cross-device sync, real-time multi-user editing, and larger storage quotas, has paid tiers; self-hosting the sync server is also free for teams that prefer data sovereignty.

That pricing model compares favourably to Notion (proprietary, cloud-mandatory, capped free tier) and Craft (a superb local-first editor, but subscription-gated for its more powerful features). For solo users, AFFiNE's free tier is essentially the whole product.

Who should use AFFiNE?

AFFiNE is compelling if you currently juggle Obsidian for local notes, Miro or Excalidraw for visual thinking sessions, and Notion for structured content — and you're exhausted by that context-switching overhead. It's equally well-suited to privacy-conscious users or teams in regulated environments where cloud-hosted tools are a liability, since local-only mode requires no network at all.

Two honest caveats worth naming upfront. The database and grid view is still catching up to Notion's depth — relational linked databases and formula columns are less mature. And the plugin ecosystem is nowhere near Obsidian's community library. If either of those is a hard requirement today, set a reminder and revisit in a few release cycles; the development pace is active and transparent on GitHub.

What are the best AFFiNE alternatives?

The competitive field splits into document-first tools and canvas-first tools. AFFiNE is the only serious contender that spans both with real parity.

• Notion — best-in-class relational databases and team collaboration; cloud-mandatory, no local storage, pricing scales with seat count.
• Obsidian — outstanding local Markdown vault with over a thousand community plugins; the built-in canvas plugin exists but is not a first-class peer to the editor the way AFFiNE's Edgeless mode is.
• Logseq — excellent local-first outliner and daily-notes workflow; open source; canvas functionality is limited.
• Craft — beautiful macOS-native writing experience, local-first, great for long-form docs; no whiteboard mode whatsoever.
• Miro / Excalidraw — genuinely superior infinite canvases for visual collaboration; weak or non-existent text-editing story; Miro is cloud-dependent and expensive at scale.

If the canvas-plus-docs combination is what you're after, no alternative on this list offers it as a coherent, local-first, free package.