AFFiNE vs NoteDiscovery
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
NoteDiscovery
Self-hosted Markdown knowledge base with graph view
| Feature | AFFiNE | NoteDiscovery |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 72,916 | ★ 2,812 |
| First released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Notion, Miro | Obsidian, Notion |
What are AFFiNE and NoteDiscovery?
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
NoteDiscovery
NoteDiscovery is a self-hosted Markdown knowledge base featuring wikilinks, a graph view, a drawing editor, and LaTeX and Mermaid rendering. It is designed for building and exploring a connected personal knowledge base.
- Wikilinks and graph view
- Drawing editor
- LaTeX and Mermaid support
- Self-hosted knowledge base
AFFiNE vs NoteDiscovery: key differences
AFFiNE is written in TypeScript, while NoteDiscovery is built with JavaScript. NoteDiscovery is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for AFFiNE. AFFiNE is the more established project (first released 2022), while NoteDiscovery arrived in 2024. AFFiNE has the considerably larger community, at 72,916 GitHub stars versus 2,812.
Why pick each one
Choose AFFiNE if…
- Versatile workspace
- Local-first design
- Modern UI
Watch out for
- Self-hosting still maturing
- Resource intensive
Choose NoteDiscovery if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is AFFiNE or NoteDiscovery better?
Neither is universally better. AFFiNE has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are AFFiNE and NoteDiscovery free and open-source?
Yes. AFFiNE is licensed under MIT and NoteDiscovery under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AFFiNE and NoteDiscovery with Docker?
AFFiNE: yes. NoteDiscovery: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, AFFiNE or NoteDiscovery?
NoteDiscovery 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.