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It's a split decision.
Pick AFFiNE for its local-first notes, whiteboards and databases, with annual Pro listed at $6.75/month. Choose AppFlowy when self-hosting—including air-gapped deployment—and project or wiki workflows matter more. AppFlowy Personal is free; Pro costs $12 per member/month billed annually or $16 monthly. AFFiNE’s free tier has cloud-storage and file-size limits, while AppFlowy lists unlimited storage on Pro. Check your deployment needs and per-seat costs before switching.
01Side by side
| AFFiNE | AppFlowy | |
|---|---|---|
| Paid starting price | $6.75/month for Pro, billed annually | $12/member/month for Pro, billed annually |
| Free plan | 10 GB cloud; 3 members; 7-day history | 1 owner; 100 MB storage; 7-day history |
| Best for | Notes, whiteboards, databases and planning | Projects, wikis and team workflows |
| Core strength | Documents, whiteboards and databases in one workspace | Self-hosting, AI search and project management |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Hosting and data control | Local-first; integration details not published | Self-hosted or air-gapped; integration details not published |
| Team and seat costs | Team: $10/seat/month annually; Pro: $6.75/month | Pro: $12/member/month annually; $16 monthly |
| Support | Community support on Pro; priority on Team | Support terms not published |
AFFiNE Choose AFFiNE if
- Choose AFFiNE if you want notes, whiteboards and databases together.
- Choose AFFiNE if lower annual Pro pricing matters.
- Choose AFFiNE if local-first work fits your needs.
AppFlowy Choose AppFlowy if
- Choose AppFlowy if you need self-hosting or air-gapped deployment.
- Choose AppFlowy if projects, wikis and AI search are priorities.
- Choose AppFlowy if Pro’s unlimited storage and members suit your team.
02Pricing compared
AFFiNE’s listed Pro price is $6.75 per month when billed annually. AppFlowy Pro is $12 per member per month annually, or $16 monthly. These are not identical pricing units: AppFlowy explicitly charges per member, while AFFiNE’s Pro listing does not specify a per-seat unit.
AFFiNE Free includes 10 GB cloud storage, a 10 MB maximum file size, up to 3 workspace members, 7-day version history and 3 login devices. Its Team plan is $10 per seat per month billed annually, with 100 GB initial storage plus 20 GB per seat.
AppFlowy Personal is free, with up to 100 MB storage and 7-day history. Pro lists unlimited storage, unlimited members and 90-day history. AFFiNE AI is a separate $8.90 per month add-on billed annually. Compare seats, storage and add-ons before treating headline prices as equivalent.
03Features and depth
AFFiNE’s stated strength is combining documents, whiteboards and databases in one workspace. Its feature list also includes an AI assistant for writing, drawing and planning, project planning, and templates. That makes it the closer fit if visual canvases and structured information need to sit beside notes. AFFiNE describes itself as local-first and open source, though its review flags that its FOSS credentials need careful checking.
AppFlowy emphasizes projects, docs and wikis, meeting notes, team collaboration and AI search that answers from users’ sources. It also lists real-time co-editing and asynchronous comments. Its standout deployment option is self-hosting on-premises, in a private cloud or in an air-gapped environment. The published feature list does not describe an AFFiNE-style whiteboard or database feature for AppFlowy, so teams that depend on those should verify the current product scope before switching. Both products include AI, but the descriptions point to different uses: AFFiNE’s assistant supports creation and planning; AppFlowy’s search is grounded in published material.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The published product information does not publish learning-curve data or migration steps, so we would not treat either as the easier switch by default. Start with the work your team actually does: AFFiNE brings notes, canvases and databases together, while AppFlowy foregrounds projects, documentation, meeting notes and team workflows.
Deployment may be the bigger decision than interface familiarity. AppFlowy lists self-hosting, including air-gapped environments; AFFiNE lists self-hosted deployments under Enterprise, alongside hybrid options. Check the deployment terms and plan costs before moving shared work. For a small personal workspace, both offer a free plan, but their listed storage limits differ sharply.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, AFFiNE or AppFlowy?
AFFiNE Pro is listed at $6.75 per month billed annually. AppFlowy Pro is $12 per member per month annually, or $16 monthly. AppFlowy explicitly charges per member; AFFiNE’s Pro listing does not specify a per-seat unit, so compare the full team bill rather than just the headline prices.
Can I self-host AFFiNE or AppFlowy?
AppFlowy lists self-hosting on-premises, in a cloud environment or in an air-gapped environment. AFFiNE lists self-hosted deployments and hybrid self-host/cloud options under Enterprise, which is custom priced. Check each product’s deployment terms before choosing a plan.
What do the free plans include?
AFFiNE Free lists 10 GB cloud storage, a 10 MB maximum file size, up to 3 workspace members, 7-day version history and up to 3 login devices. AppFlowy Personal is free and lists up to 100 MB storage, one workspace owner, one form, one chart and 7-day history.
Which is better for whiteboards and databases?
AFFiNE is the clearer match in the published feature lists: it explicitly includes whiteboards and databases alongside documents. AppFlowy’s list focuses on projects, docs, wikis, meeting notes and AI search. Confirm current feature availability if whiteboards or databases are essential to your workflow.