AFFiNE vs Memos
Both in Notes & knowledge base — compared item by item
AFFiNE
There can be more than Notion and Miro. AFFiNE(pronounced [ə‘fain]) is a next-gen knowledge base that brings planning, sorting and creating all together. Privacy first, open-source, customizable and ready to use.
Memos
Open-source, self-hosted note-taking tool built for quick capture. Markdown-native, lightweight, and fully yours.
| AFFiNE | Memos | |
|---|---|---|
| Stars | ★ 72.9k | ★ 63.3k |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Last updated | 2026-09-23 | 2026-09-23 |
| Usage | 💻 Desktop / 🐳 Self-hosted | 🐳 Self-hosted |
| Platforms | — | — |
| Category | Notes & knowledge base | Notes & knowledge base |
How to choose
- Only AFFiNE supports a desktop app.
- Both have comparable traction, so pick based on features and day-to-day experience.
- Different licenses (AGPL-3.0 vs MIT) — check the terms before commercial use.