Anytype review

Objects and relations, encrypted before they sync

Anytype is built around objects rather than pages. A note, a task, a person, a book, and a project are all typed objects with relations between them, and you assemble views over those types the way you would in a database. Everything is encrypted on your device before it leaves it, and sync runs over any-sync, the project's own peer-to-peer network, which you can also self-host.

If the vendor must not be able to read it

• Privacy-first users who want a workspace the vendor genuinely cannot read
• People who want structure across their notes, not just folders and tags
• Offline-heavy workflows, since the app is local-first by design
• Anyone who wants a Notion-like tool without an account tied to a cloud database

Free stops at 100 MB of sync, and Plus is priced at $4

As of July 2026, free gives you unlimited objects stored locally, full end-to-end encryption, all editor features, 100 MB of remote storage for syncing and sharing, and 10 shared spaces. Plus is $4 per month for 1 GB of remote storage and unlimited shared spaces, Pro is $8 per month for 10 GB, and Ultra is $16 per month for 100 GB. What you buy is sync capacity, not features, which is a fairer model than most.

Where 100 MB of sync storage becomes the limit

• 100 MB of remote storage is small. Text goes a long way, but a few dozen images or PDFs will fill it
• It is source-available, not OSI open source. The Any Source Available License 1.0 restricts commercial use outside allowed networks
• There is no web app, so a borrowed computer means installing the desktop client
• The object and relation model takes real time to learn, and the first week is slower than the app you left
• Integrations and automation are close to nonexistent compared with Notion or Obsidian plugins

Two weeks to learn objects and relations, then decide

Anytype is the choice when encryption is not negotiable and you want more structure than a folder of Markdown gives you. The free tier is honest about what it limits (sync storage, not features), and self-hosting a sync node removes even that. Budget a couple of weeks to get comfortable with objects and relations, and do not pick it if you need a browser tab or a Zapier connection.