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otheropen-coreRuns locallyWriting & Office

AFFiNE: Docs + Whiteboard Workspace

Local-first docs + whiteboard workspace. MIT client; EE license on backend packages.

AFFiNE official Open Graph image used to identify the docs-and-whiteboard workspace
Official project image. Source · License: AFFiNE product image.
License
other
Stars
73,780 (2026-10-24)
Platforms
macOS, Windows, Linux, Web, Docker, iOS, Android
First seen
2022-07-31

TL;DR. AFFiNE is Local-first docs + whiteboard workspace. MIT client; EE license on backend packages. License: other (verified). Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux, Web, Docker, iOS, Android. Price: open-core. Runs locally: yes. It is an alternative to Notion.

NameAFFiNE
LanguageTypeScript
Licenseother
Pricingopen-core
PlatformsmacOS, Windows, Linux, Web, Docker, iOS, Android
Runs locallyYes
Stats73,780 stars · 5,380 forks (as of 2026-10-24)
First seen2022-07-31
Repositoryhttps://github.com/toeverything/AFFiNE

AFFiNE is a local-first docs + whiteboard + database workspace. Official hosts we opened on 2026-10-24: toeverything/AFFiNE (73,780 stars, 5,380 forks, created 2022-07-31, last push 2026-10-23T09:36:13Z, default branch canary), root LICENSE, EE LICENSE, release v0.27.4 (2026-08-18), and affine.pro. Language field: TypeScript.

It is listed on Notion alternatives next to AppFlowy and Outline. That mapping is editorial. We have no sourced quality comparison against Notion or Miro.

The README (opened 2026-10-24): “privacy-focused, local-first, open-source” alternative for Notion and Miro; docs and whiteboard “hyper-merged.” Self-host docs: docs.affine.pro/self-host-affine. Hosted affine.pro is a product SKU. Those labels are copied.

Key facts (2026-10-24)

Field Value Source
Stars / forks 73,780 / 5,380 GitHub API
Created 2022-07-31T18:45:21Z same
Last push 2026-10-23T09:36:13Z same
Latest release v0.27.4, 2026-08-18T16:51:39Z GitHub Releases
License (API) Other / NOASSERTION GitHub API
License (files) MIT outside backend/native; EE on those trees LICENSE + EE LICENSE
Language TypeScript GitHub API
Job Docs, whiteboard, databases README

v0.27.4 notes (copied): BYOK model editing, native client fixes, GPT 5.6 / Gemini 3.7 backend names. Breaking: client 0.27 needs server ≥ 0.27; some env vars moved to config.json.

License

Do not write a single “MIT” row without the carve-out.

  • Root LICENSE: MIT for content outside packages/backend and packages/common/native.
  • packages/backend/server/LICENSE: AFFiNE Enterprise Edition — production use of that Software needs a valid EE subscription. Development/testing copies are carved out in that file.
  • README: Community Edition is the current available version; EE is described as yet to be published / more advanced features.

GitHub’s license API stays Other. Site JSON-LD we opened also mentions self-host seat limits; that is product policy, not a substitute for the files. Not legal advice.

Install (docs, not tested)

Desktop assets on the v0.27.4 release (macOS / Windows / Linux). Docker / compose files ship on that release. Docs: docs.affine.pro/self-host-affine. forkalt has not installed v0.27.4.

FAQ

Is AFFiNE MIT?

Not the whole tree. Root LICENSE (2026-10-24) says content outside packages/backend and packages/common/native is MIT. Those two trees use the AFFiNE EE license for production. GitHub license field is Other / NOASSERTION. README still calls Community Edition MIT-licensed. Not legal advice.

What version did you check?

GitHub Releases latest is v0.27.4 (published 2026-08-18T16:51:39Z). Last push on canary was 2026-10-23T09:36:13Z. 0.27 notes say clients 0.27+ need a 0.27+ server.

Does it replace Notion?

The README calls it a privacy-focused, local-first alternative for Notion and Miro. That is vendor copy. See Notion alternatives. No sourced quality rank.

Sources & verification

Last verified 2026-10-24 · Last updated 2026-10-24· Edited by forkalt editors · Editorial policy

License notes are not legal advice. Read the original LICENSE. Trademark & disclaimer.