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AFFiNE Hosting
Write documents, draw on a whiteboard, and plan in tables inside one connected workspace.
No setup fees-
One click deploy -
2 GB RAM Memory needed -
25 GB Disk Space Needed -
From 5 € Price
Official links
AFFiNE’s official links and original website
AFFiNE Website
More
Tech
- Docker image
- ghcr.io/toeverything/affine:stable
- Default port
- 3010
- Database
- postgres
How AFFiNE works
AFFiNE lets a workspace contain documents, linked pages, collections, and visual material. Page mode supports structured writing, while the edgeless canvas places notes, shapes, connectors, images, and other blocks on an open surface. The same content model helps users move between linear documentation and spatial planning without exporting the idea into a separate whiteboard application.
Workspaces, members, permissions, and persistent data support collaboration. The catalogue stack includes PostgreSQL with vector support and Redis alongside the application. Optional AI functions require compatible external model services or provider credentials; hosting the workspace does not include model access by itself.
Key AFFiNE features
Documents support rich blocks and linked knowledge, while collections add structured views over related information. The edgeless canvas is useful for diagrams, workshops, roadmaps, and early product thinking that does not fit a page hierarchy. Search and backlinks help people navigate a growing workspace.
Self-hosting gives administrators control over the service location and account environment. It also makes them responsible for onboarding, permissions, backup awareness, upgrade review, and any external dependency. Application email is unavailable in the supplied configuration, so invitations and recovery cannot rely on messages sent from AFFiNE.
AFFiNE vs Notion
AFFiNE combines page-based knowledge with an edgeless canvas and supports self-hosted deployment. Notion is a provider-managed workspace that joins documents, wikis, databases, projects, templates, integrations, forms, calendars, and commercial AI features within a large hosted ecosystem.
Notion may suit organisations that want a mature vendor service, extensive templates and integrations, and provider-operated collaboration without maintaining infrastructure. AFFiNE is attractive when self-hosting and the ability to move between documents and a spatial canvas are central requirements.
Who uses AFFiNE
Product teams use AFFiNE for specifications, brainstorming, roadmaps, and linked project knowledge. Designers and researchers combine notes with visual mapping, while individuals maintain planning systems that need both structured pages and freeform canvases.
The workspace is most effective when naming, permissions, and collection rules are agreed before content grows. Optional AI also needs governance: teams should select providers, credentials, spending controls, and acceptable data handling rather than assuming the hosted application includes a private model.
Self-hosting AFFiNE: requirements and cost
Resource use reflects active collaborators, documents, blocks, collections, canvases, uploaded assets, search, exports, background tasks, and Redis activity. PostgreSQL holds workspace state and vector-related data. AvaHost includes PostgreSQL but leaves it unmanaged, with its memory separate from the exported application minimum.
The database-adjusted recommendation is Plan 3 at €10. The AFFiNE package provides one-click setup, workspace-domain HTTPS, automatic application updates, and scheduled backups. No AI model, token allowance, API subscription, or inference hardware is bundled. Application email is disabled, so emailed invitations, notifications, and password-recovery workflows are unavailable.
F.A.Q
AFFiNE starts at €10 on Plan 3 after adding capacity for PostgreSQL. The recommendation supports a modest collaborative workspace using documents, linked pages, collections, and canvases. Members, uploaded assets, complex boards, search, exports, Redis activity, optional integrations, and background work determine when the installation may benefit from more resources.
AvaHost provisions PostgreSQL and Redis beside AFFiNE and connects the application automatically. Workspace members, documents, blocks, collections, permissions, and application state depend on the stack. PostgreSQL is included but unmanaged, so database contents, persistent files, secrets, and configuration should be treated together during updates, migration, or recovery testing.
A custom hostname can serve AFFiNE with automated HTTPS once its DNS records point to AvaHost. Choose the final address before sharing workspace links or configuring integrations. After a change, test administrator access, member sign-in, pages, canvases, assets, search, exports, callbacks, and bookmarks that may still contain the former URL.
The plan includes neither an AI model, token allowance, provider subscription, nor inference hardware. Optional AI requires customer-selected compatible services and credentials. Application email is also disabled, so AFFiNE cannot send invitations, notifications, or password-recovery messages. Administrators should plan onboarding and account support without relying on outbound mail from the workspace.