AFFiNE review

Docs, whiteboard, and databases in one open source workspace, with 10 GB free and unlimited local workspaces.

Facts checked July 2026

Free plan: Yes
Free plan score: 73/100Strong
Starting price: $6.75/month
Open source: MIT (client); server directory under a separate license
Based in: Singapore
Company: TOEVERYTHING PTE. LTD.

Our take

AFFiNE is the only free tool here where a document and a whiteboard are the same object, and unlimited local workspaces mean the 10 GB cloud cap only bites if you sync everything.

One document, two modes: page and edgeless

AFFiNE puts a document editor and an infinite canvas on top of the same content. Write a page in page mode, switch to edgeless mode, and the blocks become cards you can move around, connect with arrows, and sketch on. Add database views on top and you have roughly Notion plus Miro in one app, with the client MIT licensed on GitHub.

For anyone keeping a doc and a canvas in sync by hand

People who plan visually and write linearly and are tired of keeping two apps in sync
Teams of three or fewer who want a shared modern workspace for free
Anyone who wants unlimited local-only workspaces with cloud sync as an option
Self-hosters looking for a docs-plus-whiteboard tool in a single deployment

10 GB free, Pro priced at $6.75, lifetime at $499.99

As of July 2026, free means 10 GB of cloud storage, a 10 MB maximum file size, up to 3 workspace members, 3 logged-in devices, 7 days of version history, and unlimited local workspaces. Pro is $6.75 per month billed annually for 100 GB, 100 MB files, 10 members, and 30 days of history. Team is $10 per seat per month with a 10-seat minimum. There is also a Believer plan at $499.99 once for lifetime Pro with 1 TB. Self-hosting is free.

Three devices is the limit that bites first

The 3-device login cap is unusually restrictive. A laptop, a desktop, a phone, and a tablet already exceeds it
10 MB per file on free rules out most video and large PDF attachments
Stability has been the recurring complaint. It ships fast, and occasional sync and rendering bugs come with that
Databases are usable but shallow next to Notion's relations and rollups
The dual-mode concept takes a while to click, and some blocks behave differently between page and edgeless mode

Worth testing on the free 10 GB, worth backing up

AFFiNE is the most interesting product in this category and not yet the most reliable one. If the document-and-canvas combination solves a real problem for you, the free tier is generous enough to test properly, and unlimited local workspaces mean you can keep the bulk of your notes off the 10 GB quota. Treat it as a tool you should back up rather than a system of record, at least until the sync rough edges settle.

What AFFiNE offers

Markdown notes
Local-first storage
Works offline
Cross-device sync
Self-hosting
Collaboration
Mobile apps

Not included

Backlinks & graph view
End-to-end encryption
Web clipper

AFFiNE plans and pricing

Free forever: 10 GB cloud storage, up to 3 workspace members, 3 logged-in devices, 7 days of version history, and unlimited local workspaces

Self-hosting is free. The AFFiNE client is MIT licensed while the server directory carries its own separate license, so check that before commercial redistribution.

Free

Full editor and whiteboard with unlimited local workspaces

10 GB cloud storage, 10 MB maximum file size, 3 members, 3 devices, 7-day version history

Pro

$6.75/mo

Billed annually, with community support

100 GB storage, 100 MB maximum file size, 10 members, 30-day version history

Team

$10/mo

Per seat per month with a 10-seat minimum, unlimited members, and priority support

100 GB plus 20 GB per seat, 500 MB maximum file size, 30-day version history

Believer

$499.99 one-time

One-time payment for lifetime personal AFFiNE Pro with 1 TB of storage

As of July 2026. Check current pricing on the AFFiNE pricing page.

AFFiNE's free plan score

How good AFFiNE's free plan really is, judged on four things and weighted into one number.

73/100

Strong

The whole product free including the whiteboard, capped at 3 devices rather than at storage.

Free plan generosity: 74/100
Feature depth for the category: 84/100
Freedom and honesty: 80/100
What free users report: 50/100

Read the full free plan breakdown

Scored July 2026. How we calculate the free plan score.

Frequently asked questions about AFFiNE

What does AFFiNE's free plan include?

As of July 2026: 10 GB of cloud storage, a 10 MB per-file cap, up to 3 workspace members, 3 logged-in devices, 7 days of version history, and unlimited local workspaces that do not count against the cloud quota.

Is AFFiNE open source?

The client is MIT licensed. Content under the backend and native directories carries a separate license defined in the repository, so it is open source for using and self-hosting but you should read the server license before building a commercial product on top of it.

How is the whiteboard different from a normal note app?

Any page can be flipped from page mode to edgeless mode, where its blocks become objects on an infinite canvas you can arrange, connect, and draw around. It is one document viewed two ways, not a separate whiteboard file you link to.

Latest AFFiNE news

Changes that affect what you get for free: pricing, free plan limits, ownership, and whether the project is still maintained. Not every release.

We checked AFFiNE's own blog, changelog and release notes in July 2026 and found nothing that changes the picture above.

Reader reviews

What people who actually use AFFiNE think of it.

No reviews of AFFiNE yet. If you have used it, yours would be the first.

The useful part is the specifics: what you used it for, and where it got in your way.