Comparison

FreeScout vs AFFiNE

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

FreeScout

This official client provides access to your FreeScout helpdesk on iOS devices. It enables push notifications for important updates when configured with the "Mobile Notifications" module. Contact your administrator for any helpdesk-related issues.

Highlights
  • Official FreeScout client
  • Push notifications
  • iOS compatibility
  • Helpdesk access
Features
Read full description

Official FreeScout helpdesk client for iOS. To enable push notifications, install "Mobile Notifications" module in your FreeScout help desk. When this app shows "FreeScout Would LIke to Send You Notifications" dialog, make sure to click "Allow", otherwise you won't receive push notifications. If you experience any problems when using the help desk inside of the app, please contact your help desk administrator, as this app is not responsible for any issues related to your FreeScout installation.

About

AFFiNE

This app combines an infinite whiteboard with notes, documents, and tasks, enhanced by AI. Effortlessly convert visual ideas into text and manage all your projects in one unified workspace. It's designed for visual thinkers and teams to streamline workflows and organize information effectively.

Highlights
  • Infinite whiteboard for visual brainstorming
  • Convert sketches to organized notes/documents
  • All-in-one project, task, and document management
  • AI assistance for writing, summarizing, and answering
  • Real-time collaboration on docs and whiteboards
  • Cross-device synchronization
Features
Read full description

AFFiNE is an open-source, local-first workspace for notes, docs, whiteboards, tasks, knowledge bases, Markdown, and AI. Built in public and trusted by a global open-source community with around 70K GitHub stars and more than 7 million downloads, AFFiNE gives you one place to write, draw, plan, organize knowledge, and keep control of your work. Whether you're capturing personal ideas, organizing class notes, planning a project with a team, building a second brain, or mapping a complex workflow, AFFiNE helps you move from scattered thoughts to structured work without switching between separate note, whiteboard, and task apps. WHY AFFiNE? OPEN-SOURCE AND LOCAL-FIRST AFFiNE started as an open-source project and continues to focus on transparent, user-owned knowledge work. - Work with a product built around openness and data control - Use local-first workflows for personal knowledge and project planning - Choose AFFiNE Cloud or self-hosted workflows for your workspace - Keep Markdown and portability at the center of your writing system NOTES & DOCS Write everything from quick notes to long-form documents. - Capture ideas, journals, meeting notes, class notes, and project plans - Structure information with flexible blocks and connected pages - Use Markdown for clear, portable writing - Turn rough thoughts into organized documents with AI WHITEBOARDS & VISUAL THINKING Switch from structured documents to an infinite canvas whenever ideas need space. - Create mind maps, diagrams, visual notes, and brainstorming boards - Plan product ideas, research flows, study maps, or team workflows - Connect visual thinking with written notes instead of keeping them in separate tools TASKS & PROJECTS Bring planning and execution into the same workspace. - Track to-dos, project notes, decisions, and next steps - Keep tasks close to the documents and whiteboards that explain the work - Organize personal workflows, student projects, creator work, and team planning AI FOR KNOWLEDGE WORK Use AI to help you write, summarize, and structure ideas. - Draft notes and documents faster - Summarize messy information into clearer outlines - Turn brainstorming into structured next steps - Use AI inside the workspace where your context already lives FOR PERSONAL USE AFFiNE works for notes, journals, study planning, research, reading lists, personal knowledge management, and second-brain workflows. FOR TEAMS AND SELF-HOSTED WORKFLOWS Use AFFiNE for shared project knowledge, planning, docs, visual collaboration, and self-hosted workspace needs. SYNC ACROSS DEVICES Keep working across iPhone, iPad, desktop, and web. Start with a thought on mobile, expand it on a canvas, and turn it into organized knowledge when you're back at your desk. AFFiNE is for people who want the flexibility of documents, the freedom of a whiteboard, the structure of tasks, and the trust of open-source software in one workspace. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

FreeScout3 screens
AFFiNE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: AFFiNE at 4.3 against FreeScout's 2.3. AFFiNE also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 15 months) and review sentiment (42% vs 21%). FreeScout's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. AFFiNE sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. FreeScout asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AFFiNE holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AFFiNE has 36 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of FreeScout's written reviews are positive against 42% of AFFiNE's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FreeScout ships an update every 15 months, AFFiNE every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
FreeScout versus AFFiNE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFreeScoutAFFiNE
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (3 ratings)4.3 (36 ratings) — better
Positive reviews21.4% of reviews42.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings336 — better
Update frequencyEvery 15 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.5
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB239 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJason RheeToEverything

Customer experience

FreeScout

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive21.4%
Neutral7.1%
Negative71.4%

AFFiNE

All ratings32 ratings
Positive81.3%
Neutral15.6%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive42.3%
Neutral30.8%
Negative26.9%

In-app purchases

None

FreeScout

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

AFFiNE

Subscriptions3
  • AFFiNE Pro Monthly$7.991 Month
  • AFFiNE Pro Yearly$81.001 Year
  • AFFiNE AI Yearly$106.991 Year

Questions

Is FreeScout free?
FreeScout is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AFFiNE free?
AFFiNE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, FreeScout or AFFiNE?
AFFiNE is rated higher. FreeScout averages 2.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while AFFiNE averages 4.3 from 36 ratings.
Do FreeScout or AFFiNE have ads?
AFFiNE shows ads; FreeScout does not.
Which is updated more often, FreeScout or AFFiNE?
FreeScout ships an update every 15 months, and AFFiNE every 3 weeks. Most recently, FreeScout was updated on November 3, 2026 and AFFiNE on November 4, 2026.

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