Visual knowledge workers
Move between a written page, spatial whiteboard, mind map, database, and presentation without rebuilding the context in separate tools.
Independent tool overview
AFFiNE AI at a glance
AFFiNE AI is the assistant layer inside AFFiNE's open-source, local-first knowledge workspace, helping users chat with notes, edit writing, extract actions, generate mind maps, and create presentation drafts across documents and visual whiteboards.
Visit the official AFFiNE AI site ↗
- Product type
- AI knowledge workspace with docs, whiteboards, and databases
- Core modes
- Page and Edgeless
- AI functions
- Chat, inline editing, summaries, mind maps, actions, and presentations
- Deployment
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and self-hosted Docker
- Local AI
- Not yet; official AI currently uses AFFiNE Cloud
- BYOK
- Experimental since version 0.27
- Editor license
- MIT for the editor and most code; separate backend license
- AI price
- $8.90/month billed annually
- Last reviewed
- August 30, 2026
Overview
What AFFiNE AI is
AFFiNE combines structured documents, Edgeless whiteboards, databases, local workspaces, cloud collaboration, and self-hosting in one knowledge environment. AFFiNE AI works across those surfaces: it can answer questions, rewrite or summarize selected blocks, extract action items, transform notes into mind maps, and generate presentation drafts. That makes it most useful when the source material and the resulting work should stay connected instead of moving through separate chat, notes, and design apps.
The key distinction is that AFFiNE's local-first editor does not currently mean fully local AI. The official AI service runs through AFFiNE Cloud and requires sign-in; version 0.27 added experimental bring-your-own-key support, while fully local model support remains a future direction. Buyers should therefore evaluate the editor, sync, self-hosted backend, AI processing, and model-provider path separately rather than assuming one privacy or licensing model applies to the entire stack.
Use cases
Who AFFiNE AI is best for
The strongest fit depends on the job you need the product to complete, not the size of its feature list.
Local-first note takers
Keep the core editor and local workspaces available on desktop while adding optional cloud sync and AI services where appropriate.
Research synthesis
Collect reading notes, transcripts, PDFs, and ideas, then summarize, compare, outline, and reorganize them inside a connected workspace.
Writers and planners
Draft, continue, translate, rewrite, correct, summarize, and turn working notes into tasks or a visual plan.
Small collaborative teams
Combine shared docs, whiteboards, databases, comments, version history, and AI assistance in one hosted workspace.
Self-hosting evaluators
Inspect the open client, run the supported backend deployment, and compare data-control requirements with AFFiNE's license and operational constraints.
Capabilities
Core AFFiNE AI features
Workspace-aware AI chat
Ask questions and generate insights alongside the documents and visual material already stored in AFFiNE.
Inline AI editing
Select text or blocks to improve tone, fix spelling and grammar, translate, continue writing, or produce a summary.
Action-item extraction
Turn meeting notes, plans, or drafts into an initial list of next steps that can be reviewed and organized.
AI mind maps
Transform an outline or body of notes into a structured mind map on the visual canvas.
AI presentations
Generate presentation-ready slide drafts from a prompt or outline; AFFiNE currently labels this capability beta.
Page mode
Create structured notes, specifications, journals, long-form documents, and linked knowledge.
Edgeless mode
Arrange cards, drawings, connectors, notes, frames, and diagrams spatially on an extendable whiteboard.
Databases and collections
Organize pages, projects, research, and tasks into sortable and filterable structured views.
Local-first workspaces
Use unlimited local workspaces in the desktop editor and choose whether a particular workflow also needs cloud sync.
Cloud sync and collaboration
Share workspaces, collaborate in real time, retain version history, and synchronize across supported devices according to plan limits.
Self-hosting
Deploy AFFiNE's full stack on controlled infrastructure, subject to the backend license, upgrade requirements, and operational work.
Experimental BYOK
Version 0.27 introduced an experimental route for bringing an API key to AI workflows.
MCP integration
Expose authorized AFFiNE workspace content to compatible tools such as coding agents through an MCP connection.
Import and multi-platform support
Use desktop, mobile, browser, and importers for products including Notion, Obsidian, OneNote, and Bear, with feature parity varying by platform.
Process
How the AFFiNE AI workflow works
Step 1
Choose a workspace mode
Decide whether the project should remain local, use AFFiNE Cloud for sync and AI, or be deployed on a self-hosted server.
Step 2
Import or capture the source material
Bring in notes, documents, transcripts, PDFs, ideas, and references, then remove secrets or personal data the AI does not need.
Step 3
Structure the knowledge
Use pages, links, databases, collections, and Edgeless canvases so the assistant works around an understandable information system.
Step 4
Use a targeted AI action
Ask for a summary, comparison, rewrite, set of action items, mind map, explanation, or presentation outline rather than a vague transformation.
Step 5
Insert and edit the result
Place useful output back into the document or canvas, verify it against the source, and revise the wording and structure manually.
Step 6
Connect the next step
Turn the approved result into tasks, a database entry, a visual plan, a presentation, or an authorized MCP-assisted workflow.
Step 7
Review privacy and portability
Regularly test exports, backups, workspace permissions, AI provider settings, and restore procedures before the knowledge base becomes business-critical.
Cost
AFFiNE AI pricing and free plan
AFFiNE separates the workspace plans from the AFFiNE AI add-on. The AI page advertises $8.90 per month when billed annually. Workspace hosting ranges from free to paid Pro, Team, and Enterprise plans; self-hosting also has distinct license and infrastructure implications.
Local FOSS + Cloud Basic
Free forever
Core editor access, unlimited local workspaces, and a limited hosted collaboration tier.
- 10 GB cloud storage
- 10 MB maximum file size
- Up to 3 members per workspace
- 7-day cloud version history
- Up to 3 login devices
- AFFiNE AI is a separate service
AFFiNE AI add-on
$8.90/month billed annually
Adds the hosted AI assistant to supported AFFiNE writing, drawing, planning, and presentation workflows.
- AI chat and inline editing
- Mind-map generation
- Presentation generation is beta
- Early-user unlimited usage terms may be adjusted later
Pro
$6.75/month billed annually
Hosted workspace upgrade for individuals, families, and small teams.
- 100 GB cloud storage
- 100 MB maximum file size
- Up to 10 members per workspace
- 30-day version history
- AI priced separately unless checkout states otherwise
Team
$10/seat/month
Hosted or supported team capabilities for larger collaborative workspaces.
- 100 GB initial storage plus 20 GB per seat
- 500 MB maximum file size
- Unlimited team members with 10-seat minimum shown
- Multiple admin roles
- Priority support
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Contracts for 100-plus seats, regulated organizations, and custom or hybrid deployments.
- Dedicated point of contact
- Procurement and security review
- Self-host and cloud hybrid options
- SLA on request
Believer
$499.99 one time
A published lifetime personal-use offer tied to Pro features.
- Lifetime personal usage
- 1 TB cloud storage
- Verify availability, AI inclusion, and transfer terms at checkout
Pricing checked . Check current pricing at the source ↗
Assessment
AFFiNE AI strengths and limitations
Where it stands out
- Unifies text documents, visual whiteboards, structured data, and AI in one workspace
- Local-first editor can keep core work available without a permanent web connection
- Open client and public source repository make the product more inspectable than a closed-only SaaS
- AI actions can be applied directly to selected content in both Page and Edgeless modes
- Mind maps and presentation drafts create a practical bridge from notes to visual communication
- Available across desktop, mobile, browser, and supported self-hosted deployments
- Free workspace tier makes the non-AI core accessible for evaluation
- Importers reduce some migration friction from established note apps
- Experimental BYOK and MCP support point toward more flexible agent and model workflows
- AFFiNE continues to publish release notes and maintain an active open-source repository
What to consider
- AFFiNE AI currently runs through AFFiNE Cloud and requires sign-in, even when the surrounding editor is local-first
- Experimental BYOK is not the same as fully local inference and may change as the feature matures
- Presentation generation and some broader AI actions are still labeled beta
- Automatic note sorting and tagging are advertised as coming soon, not current finished capabilities
- The AI service is a separate add-on from workspace hosting, so combined cost can be higher than the headline workspace price
- The official page says early-user unlimited AI usage restrictions may be adjusted later
- The editor and most code are MIT-licensed, but the self-hosted backend uses an AFFiNE Enterprise Edition license with commercial restrictions
- Self-hosting requires infrastructure, backups, monitoring, security patching, upgrades, and compatibility planning
- Starting with server 0.27, only clients on version 0.26 or newer can connect, illustrating the need to coordinate upgrades
- Mobile, web, desktop, and self-hosted surfaces may not have complete feature parity
- Imports should be tested on representative documents because complex databases, embeds, links, and layouts may not translate perfectly
- AI summaries and transformations can omit, invent, or misinterpret information and require source-level review
- Connecting MCP clients or external model providers expands the data-access and prompt-injection threat surface
- Teams need clear workspace permissions, retention, provider, and confidential-data policies before enabling AI broadly
- The product's breadth can feel less focused than a dedicated notes app, whiteboard, presentation tool, or project manager
Compare
AFFiNE AI alternatives
The right alternative depends on the specific output, workflow, controls and budget your project requires.
Project Management
Notion AI
Notion AI is the closest mainstream alternative for teams prioritizing mature databases, documents, search, and hosted collaboration.
Explore Notion AI →Students
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
Google NotebookLM is a more focused option for source-grounded research, study guides, and synthesis from a defined document collection.
Explore Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) →Business Operations
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a stronger general-purpose assistant when users do not need the AI embedded inside a local-first docs and whiteboard system.
Explore ChatGPT →Questions
AFFiNE AI FAQs
What is AFFiNE AI?
AFFiNE AI is the assistant built into AFFiNE's docs, whiteboards, and knowledge workflows. It supports chat, inline editing, summaries, action extraction, mind maps, and beta presentation generation.
Is AFFiNE AI free?
AFFiNE's core local and basic cloud workspace has a free tier, but the official AI add-on is advertised at $8.90 per month when billed annually. Use the trial and current checkout to confirm limits and plan inclusion.
Does AFFiNE AI run locally?
Not yet. AFFiNE says the current AI service runs through AFFiNE Cloud and requires sign-in. Version 0.27 added experimental BYOK, while fuller local AI support remains planned.
Is AFFiNE open source?
The editor and most of the codebase are MIT-licensed and publicly available. The self-hosted backend uses the source-available AFFiNE Enterprise Edition license, so review its commercial restrictions before modifying or redistributing it.
Can I self-host AFFiNE?
Yes. AFFiNE publishes a Docker-based self-hosting path. The organization operating it remains responsible for infrastructure, backups, security, updates, monitoring, identity, and license compliance.
Can AFFiNE AI make presentations?
Yes. It can turn a prompt or outline into presentation-ready slide drafts, but AFFiNE currently labels the capability beta, so expect to revise structure, facts, layout, and visual consistency.
What is Edgeless mode?
Edgeless is AFFiNE's spatial whiteboard surface. Users can arrange notes, drawings, connectors, frames, and other elements visually and invoke AI on selected content.
What does AFFiNE BYOK mean?
Bring your own key lets a user connect an external model API credential rather than relying only on the default AI route. AFFiNE introduced it as an experimental feature, so check current provider support, billing, retention, and security behavior.
Is AFFiNE better than Notion?
AFFiNE is more compelling for local-first use, self-hosting evaluation, open-source inspection, and a tight document-to-whiteboard workflow. Notion is generally more mature for databases, integrations, enterprise administration, and a large template ecosystem.
Bottom line
Our AFFiNE AI verdict
AFFiNE AI is most distinctive when a project naturally moves between prose, diagrams, structured collections, and presentations. Its local-first and open-source foundations are meaningful, but buyers must read the fine print: the current AI layer is cloud-based, BYOK is experimental, and the backend has a different license from the editor. Test the exact deployment, export, collaboration, and AI path you intend to use before consolidating a critical knowledge system.
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