kitio.aiAFFiNE vs Heptabase
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. AFFiNE has the lower starting price: about $7 a month, against $12 for Heptabase.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Docs and whiteboards
- Databases
- AFFiNE AI
- Local-first storage
- Self-hosting
- Card-based whiteboards
- PDF highlighting
- YouTube transcripts
- AI agent
- Local-first data
| Feature | AFFiNE | Heptabase |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source workspace mixing docs, whiteboards and databases with AI | Visual whiteboard notes app for research and deep learning |
| Category | Productivity | Productivity |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free trial |
| Starting price | $6.75/mo | $11.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No, 7-day trial |
| Made by | Toeverything | Heptabase |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
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Pricing compared
AFFiNE has the lower starting price: about $7 a month, against $12 for Heptabase.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
FOSS + Cloud Basic
Free
- Local editor, MIT license
- Basic cloud sync
Pro
$6.75/mo
- 100 GB cloud storage
- Up to 10 members per workspace
- 30-day version history
Team
$10/mo
- Per seat
- 100 GB + 20 GB per seat storage
- Multiple admin roles
- Priority support
Believer
$499.99 one-time
- Lifetime personal usage
- 1TB cloud storage
3 plans
Pro
$11.99/mo
- Unlimited notes, whiteboards, tags
- Unlimited collaborator invites
- AI agent (Gemini models)
- 100 AI credits / month
Premium
$23.99/mo
- Unlimited PDF uploads and OCR
- Unlimited Q&A with basic AI
- AI tutor
- 1,800 AI credits / month
Premium+
$71.99/mo
- Everything in Premium
- 33% discount on AI credits
- 8,100 AI credits / month
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
AFFiNE
- Open source and self-hostable
- Docs and whiteboard in one
- Local-first data
- Less mature than Notion
- AI is a paid add-on
Heptabase
- Great for visual thinkers
- Strong PDF workflow
- Works offline
- No free plan after trial
- Less suited to quick capture
Which one should you choose?
Choose AFFiNE if you want:
- Open source and self-hostable
- Docs and whiteboard in one
- Local-first data
Watch out: less mature than notion.
Choose Heptabase if you want:
- Great for visual thinkers
- Strong PDF workflow
- Works offline
Watch out: no free plan after trial.
AFFiNE vs Heptabase FAQ
What is the difference between AFFiNE and Heptabase?
AFFiNE: Open-source workspace mixing docs, whiteboards and databases with AI. Heptabase: Visual whiteboard notes app for research and deep learning. Both are productivity tools.
Is AFFiNE or Heptabase cheaper?
AFFiNE has the lower starting price: about $7 a month, against $12 for Heptabase.
Do AFFiNE and Heptabase have free plans?
AFFiNE: Yes. Heptabase: No, 7-day trial.
Who makes AFFiNE?
AFFiNE is made by Toeverything.
Who makes Heptabase?
Heptabase is made by Heptabase.
Which should I choose, AFFiNE or Heptabase?
Choose AFFiNE if you value open source and self-hostable and docs and whiteboard in one. Choose Heptabase if you value great for visual thinkers and strong pdf workflow.