AFFiNE vs HelixNotes

Comparing two open source alternatives to Notion and Obsidian and Evernote. Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.

AFFiNE

Open-source knowledge base combining note-taking, whiteboard, and project planning in one workspace.

Visit Full details

HelixNotes

AGPL-3.0

A fast, privacy-first local markdown note-taking app built with Tauri and SvelteKit. Your notes stay as plain .md files on your device.

Visit Full details

Side-by-side comparison

	AFFiNE	HelixNotes
License	—	AGPL-3.0
Self-hostable	Yes	No
GitHub Stars	73,169	155
Forks	5,325	15
Open Issues	762	57
Last Commit	Sep 30, 2026	Jul 23, 2026
First Released	Jul 31, 2022	Feb 9, 2026
Categories	Note Taking & Knowledge Management Tools Knowledge Management Tools	Note Taking & Knowledge Management Tools
Tags	#knowledge-management #markdown #collaboration #whiteboard #self hosted	#markdown #notes #knowledge-management #productivity #privacy

GitHub stars over time

AFFiNE73,169

HelixNotes

Similar open source alternatives

AppFlowy

Open source Notion alternative that brings projects, wikis, and teams together with AI while keeping you in control of your data.

Alternative to:

Notion

Jotty

Lightweight self-hosted app for managing personal file-based notes and checklists.

Alternative to:

Notion

Outline

The fastest growing-team knowledge base — beautiful, realtime collaborative, feature packed, and markdown compatible Notion and Confluence alternative.

Alternative to:

Notion

memos

Privacy-first, self-hosted note-taking platform with markdown support, tagging, and built-in AI — a lightweight alternative to Notion and Obsidian.

Alternative to:

Obsidian

SilverBullet

Markdown-based note-taking app with powerful live queries, templates, and a pluggable scripting system for power users.

Alternative to:

Notion

Huly

All-in-one open source platform that combines project management, CRM, chat, HR, and wiki as an alternative to Linear, Jira, Slack, and Notion.

Alternative to:

Notion