Comparison

AFFiNE vs TaskNotes

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

TaskNotes

Features
Read full description

TaskNotes is a calm, capable task manager built around portable Markdown records. Capture work quickly, decide what matters today, and organise tasks without locking your information into one app. • Create, edit, complete, search, and reorder tasks • Plan with lists, boards, calendars, due dates, and scheduled dates • Set priorities, recurring tasks, reminders, and dependencies • Track time and attach images • Turn rough notes into selected tasks with Scratchpad • Choose system, light, or dark appearance • Inspect the Markdown record behind any task TaskNotes works with mdbase collections. Use a hosted collection or connect one kept on your computer; the same interface and task model apply either way. Your collection remains the authoritative home of your tasks, and each task stays a structured Markdown record you can use beyond TaskNotes. Reminders are delivered by mdbase, so TaskNotes does not need to stay open. Notification payloads contain no task titles, descriptions, paths, or record content. Learn more at tasknotes.dev.

Screenshots

AFFiNE4 screens
TaskNotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TaskNotes at none against AFFiNE's 3. TaskNotes also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. TaskNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AFFiNE ships an update every 3 weeks, TaskNotes weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
AFFiNE versus TaskNotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAFFiNETaskNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (32 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews42.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings32 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size239 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperToEverythingCallum Alpass

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
None

TaskNotes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AFFiNE free?
AFFiNE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TaskNotes free?
TaskNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do AFFiNE or TaskNotes have ads?
AFFiNE shows ads; TaskNotes does not.
Which is updated more often, AFFiNE or TaskNotes?
AFFiNE ships an update every 3 weeks, and TaskNotes weekly. Most recently, AFFiNE was updated on October 20, 2026 and TaskNotes on October 10, 2026.

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