AFFiNE vs Notable
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
AFFiNE
Workspace for docs, whiteboards and databases
VS
Notable
Markdown-based note-taking app for plain files
| Feature | AFFiNE | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 28 · At risk |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 72,866 | ★ 23,496 |
| First released | 2022 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Notion, Miro | Evernote, Notion |
What are AFFiNE and Notable?
AFFiNE
AFFiNE is an open-source knowledge base that combines documents, whiteboards, and databases in a single workspace. It targets users wanting an all-in-one alternative to Notion and Miro. It is deployed via Docker.
- Docs, whiteboard and database in one
- Local-first data model
- Real-time collaboration
- Edgeless canvas mode
Notable
Notable is a note-taking application that stores notes as plain Markdown files on disk. It offers a clean editor, tags, and full-text search while keeping all data in portable files.
- Plain Markdown file storage
- Tag-based organization
- Full-text search
- Clean editor
AFFiNE vs Notable: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for AFFiNE versus AGPL-3.0 for Notable. Notable is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for AFFiNE. Notable is the more established project (first released 2018), while AFFiNE arrived in 2022. AFFiNE has the considerably larger community, at 72,866 GitHub stars versus 23,496. AFFiNE lists first-class Docker deployment; Notable does not.
Why pick each one
Choose AFFiNE if…
- Versatile workspace
- Local-first design
- Modern UI
Watch out for
- Self-hosting still maturing
- Resource intensive
Choose Notable if…
- Notes stay as portable files
- Simple and focused
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Desktop only
Frequently asked questions
Is AFFiNE or Notable better?
Neither is universally better. AFFiNE has the larger community, while Notable is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are AFFiNE and Notable free and open-source?
Yes. AFFiNE is licensed under MIT and Notable under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AFFiNE and Notable with Docker?
AFFiNE: yes. Notable: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, AFFiNE or Notable?
Notable has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for AFFiNE. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.