Comparison

AFFiNE vs Klad

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

Head to head
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/

About

Klad

This app offers a fast, offline-first note-taking experience for developers and privacy-focused users. It syncs notes directly to your own Git repository, ensuring you own your data without proprietary formats or cloud lock-in.

Highlights
  • 100% Data Ownership
  • Native Git Sync
  • Frictionless Markdown Editor
  • Daily Notes Calendar View
  • Local Organization with Folders
  • Plain-text Markdown Files
Features
Read full description

Klad is a lightning-fast, offline-first Markdown notebook built specifically for developers and privacy-conscious thinkers. Instead of locking your notes in a proprietary database or charging you a monthly fee for cloud storage, Klad syncs directly to your own remote Git repository. You own your data, plain and simple. Whether you are tracking daily tasks, writing code snippets, or building a second brain, Klad stays out of your way. Your vault lives on your device as standard, plain-text Markdown files. This makes Klad perfectly interoperable with desktop tools like Obsidian, VS Code, or any other text editor you choose. CORE FEATURES • 100% Data Ownership: Bring your own vault. No proprietary formats, no forced cloud accounts, and zero vendor lock-in. • Native Git Sync: Choose between seamless background Auto-Sync to keep your devices updated, or take full manual control with dedicated Push/Pull commands. • Frictionless Markdown: A fast, native-feeling editor that perfectly renders headers, task lists, code blocks, and wikilinks. • Daily Notes: A built-in calendar view instantly drops you into today's note, perfect for daily standups, journaling, or habit tracking. • Local Organization: Manage your vault your way with standard folder and file structures. Built for speed and simplicity, Klad gives you the power of version-controlled, offline-first note-taking right in your pocket. Terms of Use: https://kladnotes.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://kladnotes.com/privacy

Screenshots

AFFiNE4 screens
Klad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: AFFiNE at 4.3 against Klad's 3.5. AFFiNE also leads on ratings volume (36 vs 2). Klad's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and Klad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AFFiNE holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AFFiNE has 36 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 42% of AFFiNE's written reviews are positive against 50% of Klad's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AFFiNE ships an update every 3 weeks, Klad daily. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
AFFiNE versus Klad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAFFiNEKlad
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (36 ratings) — better3.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews42.3% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings36 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksDaily — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.515.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size239 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperToEverythingMauricio Coelho

Customer experience

AFFiNE

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

Klad

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

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
1 purchases

Klad

One-time1
  • Klad Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is AFFiNE free?
AFFiNE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Klad free?
Klad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AFFiNE or Klad?
AFFiNE is rated higher. AFFiNE averages 4.3 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while Klad averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.
Do AFFiNE or Klad have ads?
AFFiNE shows ads; Klad does not.
Which is updated more often, AFFiNE or Klad?
AFFiNE ships an update every 3 weeks, and Klad daily. Most recently, AFFiNE was updated on October 30, 2026 and Klad on October 31, 2026.

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