Seamlessly Merge Docs, Whiteboards, and Databases in One Canvas

You're juggling between multiple apps for note-taking, brainstorming, and project management. Switching contexts disrupts your flow, fragments your information, and wastes valuable time. Plus, with most tools storing your data in the cloud, you're sacrificing privacy and control over your own knowledge.

What is AFFiNE AI

AFFiNE AI is an all-in-one workspace that fuses document editing, whiteboarding, and project management into a unified canvas. As an open-source alternative to tools like Notion and Miro, it offers a local-first architecture that prioritizes your data privacy while still enabling real-time collaboration. The edgeless canvas gives you complete freedom in how you organize your ideas, while AI integration helps automate content creation and task management.

Key Capabilities

Edgeless Canvas : Arrange information freely in any format—text, boards, mind maps—allowing you to visualize complex ideas and workflows without the constraints of traditional layouts.

AI-Powered Assistance : Generate professional reports, transform outlines into presentations, create structured mind maps, and even design prototype interfaces—all with natural language prompts.

Local-First Architecture : Maintain complete ownership of your data with local storage while still enjoying cloud synchronization when needed, ensuring privacy without sacrificing convenience.

Real-Time Collaboration : Work simultaneously with teammates on documents, whiteboards, or databases, with changes syncing instantly across devices to maintain workflow continuity.

Multi-View Mode : Switch between document, whiteboard, and database views of the same content, allowing you to adapt your workspace to different thinking modes without duplicating information.

Perfect For

A product manager struggling with scattered project documentation created a central knowledge hub in AFFiNE. Using the whiteboard canvas for roadmapping, linked database for feature tracking, and AI for report generation, they reduced planning time by 40% while keeping all stakeholders aligned.

A researcher managing complex academic projects organized their literature reviews, experimental data, and collaborative notes in AFFiNE's flexible workspace. With the local-first architecture, they maintained control over sensitive data while still collaborating seamlessly with colleagues across institutions.

Worth Considering

While AFFiNE offers impressive flexibility, it may feel overwhelming if you're looking for a single-purpose tool with a highly specialized focus. The interface learning curve is steeper than some alternatives, particularly for teams accustomed to conventional document or task management systems. AFFiNE is available as Freemium, with a generous free tier for basic functionality and premium plans for advanced collaborative features and AI capabilities.

Also Consider

Notion: Better suited if you prefer a more structured database-first approach with extensive template ecosystem.

Obsidian: Consider when personal knowledge management and note-linking are your primary needs rather than visual canvas functionality.

AppFlowy: Ideal if you want a similarly privacy-focused tool but with a more streamlined learning curve and simpler interface.

Bottom Line

AFFiNE AI delivers a genuinely unified workspace that eliminates the need to switch between specialized tools. Its combination of flexible canvas, local-first architecture, and AI capabilities makes it ideal for knowledge workers who value both creative freedom and data ownership. If you're looking to streamline your digital workflow without sacrificing control, AFFiNE deserves your attention.