AFFiNE vs AppFlowy
Is it time to switch? We break down the differences so you can stop bleeding money.
Choose AppFlowy.
If you want to own your data, save money, and avoid vendor lock-in, AppFlowy is more popular among developers.
What Actually Matters
No fluff — just the differences that affect your decision
Both open source, different licenses: AFFiNE uses Other, AppFlowy uses AGPL-3.0. Check the fine print if you're building commercial.
Both can run on your own metal with Docker. Full data ownership, no cloud dependency. We have deploy guides for each.
AFFiNE (73.5k★) and AppFlowy (77.3k★) — both well-established. Neither is going anywhere.
AFFiNE is built in TypeScript, AppFlowy in Dart. Matters if you want to contribute, extend, or debug internals.
Try both — most offer free tiers. The right pick depends on your stack size, team, and tolerance for DevOps.
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.
Why Choose AFFiNE
- ✓Modern block editor with Notion-like feel
- ✓Spatial canvas for whiteboarding and visual thinking
- ✓Hybrid local-first and cloud sync architecture
Drawbacks
- ×Still in beta
AppFlowy
Bring projects, wikis, and teams together with AI. AppFlowy is the AI collaborative workspace where you achieve more without losing control of your data. The leading open source Notion alternative.
Why Choose AppFlowy
- ✓Local-first architecture — your data never leaves your machine
- ✓Privacy-focused alternative to Notion
- ✓Built in Rust for native desktop performance
Drawbacks
- ×No web version (yet)
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