Anytype

If Notion and Slack had a decentralized baby

4.9•103 reviews•

3.7K followers

If Notion and Slack had a decentralized baby

4.9•103 reviews•

3.7K followers

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Team collaboration software

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Knowledge base software

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Messaging apps

Anytype is a safe haven for digital collaboration — a local-first, encrypted, offline-ready home for notes, chats, and lists you truly own. Built on peer-to-peer sync, it lets you work and collaborate without the cloud breathing down your neck.

Anytype Reviews

The community submitted 103 reviews to tell us what they like about Anytype , what Anytype can do better, and more.

4.9

Based on 103 reviews

Review Anytype ?

Reviews praise Anytype’s privacy-first, local-first approach, snappy performance, and clean UX, often calling it the most credible open-source Notion alternative. Users highlight flexible data modeling (objects, relations, sets), useful graphs, and dependable P2P sync across platforms. Common asks: easier onboarding, more templates, bulk/recurring features, multi-user collaboration, Markdown/canvas, multi-tab, and clearer self-hosted sync. Some note a learning curve and licensing concerns. Overall sentiment is highly positive: fast, reliable, and evolving quickly, with users willing to “play the long game” as features reach parity.

+100

Summarized with AI

Pros

privacy-focused (35)

UI/UX quality (30)

offline mode (29)

local-first (25)

open source (23)

cross-platform (20)

E2E encryption (20)

fast performance (18)

customizable data model (16)

knowledge graph (14)

Cons

learning curve (15)

alpha/beta releases (14)

bugs (6)

no multi-tab support (5)

missing Markdown support (4)

limited search functionality (3)

limited templates (3)

data export issues (2)

Pros

Cons

Reviews

All Reviews

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Founder Reviews (13)

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Other Reviews (90)

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•2 reviews

What's great

fast performance (18)open source (23)offline mode (29)privacy-focused (35)UI/UX quality (30)E2E encryption (20)local-first (25)customizable data model (16)

I have used Anytype daily for nearly 2 years. It never fails. The data in the app is solely my own. It works on the subway (aka offline). It's flexible. the UX is clean. it's got everything and the team continues to ship CONSTANTLY.

What needs improvement

Can't wait for tag as an object and also the ability to publish queries!

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183 views2mo ago

•1 review

Anytype is the future of second brain and note-taking app. I was looking for an alternative to Notion, I love the features they have but I'm concerned about my privacy and security. I tried Obsidian and it is promising too but lacks features like Notion. I was looking for an alternative to both of them. I found Evernote and Nimbus Note but they are all overkill for my use case. I don't want to take so much time for organizing my things and again they are hosted on their servers and I'm still worried for my privacy. Until I come across to "toolfinder.co" website by Keep Productive and I saw this product! I was so amazed because this note-taking app uses cryptography and I can say this app is a "Web3" product which is perfect for me as I work in this industry. I love the idea and the principles of this product. As opensource and web3 advocate this is a must app for you to use when you want to organize your digital life. I can tell that Anytype is a combination of Obsidian and Notion but Web3. Just today I started to use this app as my main and permanent second brain. I'll probably include Anytype in my blog when I share my productivity apps. Great work out there!

What's great

open source (23)privacy-focused (35)Web3 integration (2)E2E encryption (20)

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126 views2yr ago

Emoji Ipsum

•2 reviews

Once you get your head around Anytype, I'd argue this is far more powerful than Notion. That, combined with privacy-focused data ownership model, a transparent philosophy on monetization, a public roadmap, and plenty of documentation to give you the tools to make Anytype work just how you want, it's hard not to love it!

What's great

privacy-focused (35)

What needs improvement

learning curve (15)

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74 views2yr ago

•4 reviews

What's great

community support (8)cross-platform (20)open source (23)offline mode (29)self-hosting (6)collaboration (3)privacy-focused (35)Web3 integration (2)E2E encryption (20)local-first (25)knowledge graph (14)P2P sync (13)customizable data model (16)responsive developer (2)

This is one of the most innovative PKM (and more) tools available. The AnyType team has created an intriguing and appealing foundation (protocol, next gen sync technique, etc.) that works really well across devices and platforms. It provides really functional building blocks to make it a great knowledge management companion but also to share and collaborate with others. It provides excellent link-centric (backlinks, outgoing links, etc.) visibility between the knowledge graph objects and has uniquely useful ways of enabling you to move between those (e.g. its Flow display). They've improved their user interface to make it simpler and more intuitive in the recent versions so it no longer has the somewhat difficult learning curve that it had in its early days.

What needs improvement

limited search functionality (3)data export issues (2)UI/UX quality (1)no multi-tab support (5)

Exporting data is much better than it was in earlier releases but there are still a few issues that could be improved to ensure that all forms of data are completely exported and portable to other tools. Issues here and there to improve UI/UX quality seem to be getting gradually taken care of. The search works well and there are so many query options that finding notes is not really a problem but it could be improved to also have advanced search functionality.

vs Alternatives

Very flexible with how you can store, organize, and find notes in an interface that supports markdown but also provides nice additional features. It values linking between objects like Obsidian does but enables many other views through queries (similar to Capacities or Notion). It provides its own, open and very secure technique for synchronizing and sharing data that seems very future-oriented. The developers seem very active in refining and implementing important functionality but also have a very positive philosophy on their approach to the tool and work. It is open and the paid services come at a reasonable cost.

Ratings

Ease of use

Reliability

Value for money

Customization

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253 views4mo ago

•1 review

What's great

fast performance (18)cross-platform (20)offline mode (29)privacy-focused (35)UI/UX quality (30)E2E encryption (20)local-first (25)notion alternative (3)

Great app, nice design, feel a little bit uncertain where the things "are" but I'm getting ok with it :)

What needs improvement

data export issues (2)missing Markdown support (4)no multi-tab support (5)slow development time (1)

Mobile views for query and collections in pages should be implemented.
Formulas to collect data or sums or... from multiple collections
Repeatable tasks would make the calendar view very usefull.
Import CSV but with the possibility to fill properties in anytype with properties from file (without recreating each time).

vs Alternatives

Notion

Capacities

I have a lot of information on notion and i'm willing to have less data in the hands of America or cloud services. I'm replacing lot of app with european or local hosted alternatives. Offline mode and no cloud dependance is great. Object based is also a great way to rethink organisation. But the app needs to be very polished to avoid any confusion and be fully reliable.
For the moment notion feels a bit more reliable. But I'm organaizing my anytype space so it is getting stronger.

Do you trust the E2E encryption implementation?

for the moment yes, even if only one phrase feels a bit uncertain without any login/pass connection

How quickly do developers respond to issues or feedback?

Ratings

Ease of use

Reliability

Value for money

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55 views2mo ago

•1 review

What's great

fast performance (18)community support (8)cross-platform (20)multi-platform support (2)open source (23)offline mode (29)self-hosting (6)collaboration (3)privacy-focused (35)UI/UX quality (30)E2E encryption (20)local-first (25)knowledge graph (14)P2P sync (13)customizable data model (16)responsive developer (2)api integration (1)

The technical foundation of Anytype and the conviction behind it might be the biggest reason why I am a convinced user and active member of the community for almost 4 years now.

Although I was always missing some features I was always positively assured that almost all I am waiting for will come in the future and a lot of it was already implemented ever since I found Anytype.

It always made a lot of sense to me that the technical foundation makes it way more challenging to work on well known features from SaaS products and I am happy the team took the challenge seriously despite very loud and demanding Feature requests from the Community.

The team persistently iterated and developed new solutions that enable modern and fast collaboration without compromising on security, privacy and digital autonomy.

I am full of praise for this new kind of software and I could definitely nitpick on specific solutions but especially the last Town Hall showed me that the Roadmap will bring everything I could dream of and I am patient and happy to pick up the discussion and give my opinion on specific features and UX solutions when the team is actively working on it.

I see a very bright future for Anytype but even more important for their users!

What needs improvement

bugs (6)limited search functionality (3)no multi-tab support (5)notifications and reminders (1)

vs Alternatives

Anytype stays true to the local-first and privacy-first vision. It’s rare to see a tool that treats autonomy and digital autonomy as a real philosophy, not just a feature.

Especially recent history shows how important digital sovereignty can be!

It is also always getting closer to become an "Everything App" and will improve the way we work and think by bringing information, ideation, communication and collaboration together in one place.

Does the knowledge graph help you find connections?

sometimes

Is Markdown support adequate for your writing needs?

yes definitely

How quickly do developers respond to issues or feedback?

Very quickly. Som smaller bugs even get fixed within minutes...

Ratings

Ease of use

Reliability

Value for money

Customization

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140 views2mo ago

•1 review

What's great

open source (23)offline mode (29)local-first (25)

More than just a note taking app. What I like about this is fast switching between spaces (faster than turning a physical page), user-friendliness, and sharable chats. The entire vault can be transfer locally or even without using the Internet. Very convenient and comfortable!

vs Alternatives

Notion

Because AnyType is available offline.

It doesn't come with limited AI access.

When it comes to significantly gated features, I prefer whole or nothing, not tempting help which doesn't really help.

The whole vault can be transferred via storage so I can work from places to places.

No need to worry about remote area without Internet or the data redundancy at the same time.

Is Markdown support adequate for your writing needs?

For now, I am not using Markdown but I would try it and LaTex in the future.

Is self-hosting possible or planned for your setup?

I think it is possible. I have no plan for self-hosting. I am comfortable using the client version and managing my local database; which is available to offline use.

Does performance remain fast with thousands of objects?

I am not sure yet. I used with less than 100 objects for now.

Ratings

Ease of use

Reliability

Value for money

Customization

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26 views2mo ago

•1 review

What's great

fast performance (18)cross-platform (20)multi-platform support (2)open source (23)offline mode (29)privacy-focused (35)UI/UX quality (30)E2E encryption (20)local-first (25)P2P sync (13)customizable data model (16)notion alternative (3)

Coming from Obsidian, Anytype is such a joy to use. It frees itself from the constraints of file/folder organization and lets you organize with a lot of flexibility, all while feeling cozy and smooth with no need for hacking around with third party plugins. Data being stored offline on my computer and only optionally backed up to their cloud is such a bonus over any similar program. I get the UX I love about Notion with the privacy/sovereignty I love about Obsidian in one program. I feel like I'm their exact target audience and I've been swooning over it for the last 2 years

What needs improvement

Need reminder notifications and calendar on mobile

vs Alternatives

Notion

Obsidian

Capacities

Anytype uses a familiar data model from Notion and Capacities while having the privacy and data sovereignty of Obsidian

Is the learning curve steep for new users?

Anytype is different, but not necessarily hard to learn. When you grasp a few core concepts, everything starts to feel very natural.

Are there issues with data export or vendor lock-in?

Markdown export isn't perfect but has improved over time

Ratings

Ease of use

Reliability

Value for money

Customization

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30 views2mo ago

•1 review

What's great

offline mode (29)UI/UX quality (30)notion alternative (3)pdf integration (1)

I use Anytype as a notion alternative for personal use, I find that I resonate a lot more with both the visual look and feel as well as lack of feature bloated interface. Anytype is built on a system that feels both simple enough to get started quickly, but robust enough to create the sense of big potential for future uses, I'm always thinking up ways that I can use Anytype to organize different pieces of information. I follow the PARA method roughly to keep my content organized. The sync between my desktop, ipad and phone is a lifesaver.

Do you trust the E2E encryption implementation?

Yes

How stable are alpha/beta releases for production work?

Never had any major bugs that have impacted my daily use.

Does performance remain fast with thousands of objects?

Ive never had an issue with performance or slowness and I have quite a lot of content in there!

Ratings

Ease of use

Reliability

Value for money

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14 views2mo ago

•1 review

What's great

community support (8)open source (23)UI/UX quality (30)E2E encryption (20)custom properites (1)

Uniquely meets my requirements for easy export, privacy, and flexibility in an open-source app. Obsidian was too simple and manual. Excited to see it grow and glad to finally have a flexible home across any device for any project or idea.

What needs improvement

Android app sometimes buggy when creating new objects.

vs Alternatives

Wanted privacy, so not Notion. Affine is based on indexdb and doesnt offer single click export of all documents to markdown. The cloud support is very cool.

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Ease of use

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5 views2mo ago

•2 reviews

What's great

open source (23)offline mode (29)self-hosting (6)privacy-focused (35)

It is pretty complicated at first, but as soon as you get the hang of it it is amazing 🤩

What needs improvement

learning curve (15)limited search functionality (3)more customizability for web publishing (1)

The web publishing aspect is something that can definitely be still improved. E.g. you can only have your page in light mode and not in dark mode.

vs Alternatives

Because it is more transparent than Notion.

How quickly do developers respond to issues or feedback?

I applied for a student discount, and they answered within 24 hours.

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5 views1mo ago

•1 review

What's great

privacy-focused (35)UI/UX quality (30)local-first (25)

I've been a fan of Notion until they started pushing AI everywhere. I really appreciate the ease of use of Anytype and how easy it is to learn. I am using it for work as well as my second brain.
What stands out for me is the privacy focus, as everything is scanned and collected these days and it's time to move away from the companies that are doing so just because it gives us 2% more convenience.

What needs improvement

limited templates (3)no-bi-directional-linking (1)

I would love to have the Toggle on Headings too!

vs Alternatives

Notion

Privacy, privacy, privacy.

And no AI down your throat

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8 views2mo ago

•1 review

What's great

open source (23)privacy-focused (35)local-first (25)customizable data model (16)

More and more I've wanted to control my data. I now am trying to only use products that place the end users needs first.

What needs improvement

The URLs to share pages are too long but I've read it will be fixed soon.

vs Alternatives

Notion

Slack

Owning my own data in a privacy preserving way that with out too many gimmicks

Are there issues with data export or vendor lock-in?

I've seen some light formatting and structural changes when I imported from Notion but nothing I didn't miss.

Is Markdown support adequate for your writing needs?

Yes for most of my day to day needs.

Is multi-user collaboration smooth and conflict-free?

Yes works well with the new chat features.

Ratings

Ease of use

Reliability

Value for money

Customization

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77 views2mo ago