AFFiNE vs Self-hosted LiveSync
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
AFFiNE
Workspace for docs, whiteboards and databases
VS
Self-hosted LiveSync
Self-hosted real-time sync backend for Obsidian vaults
| Feature | AFFiNE | Self-hosted LiveSync |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 71,312 | ★ 11,908 |
| First released | 2022 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Notion, Miro | Obsidian Sync |
Why pick each one
Choose Self-hosted LiveSync if…
- Free alternative to Obsidian Sync
- Encrypted by default
Frequently asked questions
Is AFFiNE or Self-hosted LiveSync 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 Self-hosted LiveSync free and open-source?
Yes. AFFiNE is licensed under MIT and Self-hosted LiveSync under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AFFiNE and Self-hosted LiveSync with Docker?
AFFiNE: yes. Self-hosted LiveSync: yes.