Nodum vs AFFiNE
An AFFiNE alternative focused on linked notes rather than whiteboards
Nodum is an alternative to AFFiNE for people who want a knowledge base rather than a whiteboard workspace. AFFiNE combines a block document editor with an Excalidraw-style edgeless canvas and is MIT licensed. Nodum focuses on plain markdown notes, wikilinks, automatic backlinks and a force-directed knowledge graph, with a canvas alongside rather than at the centre.
What AFFiNE is
AFFiNE is an open-source, MIT-licensed workspace that puts a block editor and an infinite whiteboard on the same document: write a page, then flip it to edgeless mode and arrange blocks spatially. It is local-first with optional cloud sync, and it is the closest open-source answer to "Notion plus Miro".
Side by side
| Property | AFFiNE | Nodum |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | MIT — genuinely open source | MIT — the whole stack, frontend and backend |
| Hosting | AFFiNE Cloud or self-hosted | Hosted at nodum.md, or self-hosted with one Docker Compose command |
| Your notes are | Block documents with local-first sync; markdown/HTML/PDF export | Plain markdown files, exported as a folder-true zip whenever you ask |
| Linking | Bi-directional page links between docs | [[wikilinks]], [[path/Note]], [[Note|alias]], ![[embeds]] — Obsidian syntax |
| Graph | No force-directed knowledge graph; the canvas is the spatial view | Global and local force-directed graph, GPU-rendered on WebGL2 |
| Pricing model | Free and open source; paid cloud plans | Free and open source; self-host at your own infrastructure cost |
| Platforms | Browser, desktop, mobile | Any modern browser, desktop and mobile; installable as a PWA |
| Getting out | Markdown, HTML, PDF | Vault zip of .md files, plus a REST API and an MCP server |
Where each one actually wins
The left-hand column is the honest part. If none of it applies to you, the switch is probably worth making; if several do, it probably is not.
What AFFiNE does better
- The edgeless canvas is genuinely good and tightly integrated with the documents.
- The block editor feels closer to Notion for people migrating from it.
- Docs and whiteboards in one artefact rather than two.
What Nodum does better
- Plain markdown files as the storage format, with Obsidian-compatible import and export.
- A force-directed knowledge graph over the whole vault.
- Automatic backlinks with context snippets, plus unlinked mentions.
- An MCP server and a bring-your-own-key AI assistant.
So — switch, or stay?
Switch to Nodum if…
- You want a knowledge base first and a canvas second.
- You want markdown files rather than block documents.
- You want backlinks and a graph.
Stay on AFFiNE if…
- The whiteboard is the point, and you think spatially rather than in links.
AFFiNE and Nodum: common questions
AFFiNE or Nodum?
Both are MIT licensed and both self-host. Choose AFFiNE if you want documents and an infinite whiteboard in one workspace. Choose Nodum if you want a markdown knowledge base with wikilinks, automatic backlinks and a knowledge graph, where the canvas is a feature rather than the centre.
Before you move anything
Whatever you decide, run this once. It takes ten minutes and it is the difference between a migration and an incident.
- Export from AFFiNE first, and keep that export somewhere safe.
- Import a copy into a throwaway Nodum vault, not your main one.
- Open the graph and look for ghost nodes — those are links that did not resolve.
- Export the Nodum vault and diff it against what you put in.
- Only then delete anything.
Other comparisons
Every comparison is on the alternatives index, and the glossary defines the vocabulary these pages use.
Bring your AFFiNE notes with you.
Import a zip, look at the graph, export it again. Nothing about it is one-way.