AFFiNE, built by Toeverything since 2022, positions itself explicitly as an open-source alternative to Notion, combining documents, a freeform whiteboard canvas, and structured databases in one workspace rather than keeping those as separate tools or tabs a user switches between.
That open-source foundation matters to a specific audience: teams and individuals wary of building years of notes and structure inside a closed, proprietary platform they don't control, with self-hosting available for anyone who wants their data entirely off a third-party server rather than trusting a hosted service by default.
A free tier covers standard use, and paid plans start around $8 a month for more storage and collaboration features. For someone who wants Notion's flexible docs-plus-database approach without committing to closed, proprietary software, AFFiNE's open-source model and self-hosting option address that concern directly.
