I replaced my Obsidian installation with this open source workspace

Obsidian was one of those apps that I rarely asked for. It’s fast, works offline, and gives me enough control to build my knowledge system the way I want it. Then I tried AFFiNE. After spending more time with it, I found that the Obsidian setup was suddenly more limited than I realized.

Databases make my job easier

It’s much better than Obsidian Basics as a universal

Databases are one of the biggest reasons AFFiNE fits my workflow better than Obsidian. I can switch between schedule, calendar, and Kanban views depending on what I’m working on, all while keeping the same basic information and properties.

For my writing workflow, I can create properties for posting, deadline, priority, status, category, and then view everything as a simple table when I want details, a calendar when I’m planning deadlines, or a Kanban board when I want to see articles moving from research to writing, editing, and publishing.

Obsidian Databases has improved Obsidian’s database side, but I still find the AFFiNE implementation more than adequate for day-to-day project management.

The biggest advantage is that you don’t have to look for third-party plugins to fill the obvious gaps. Kanban is a good example. At Obsidian, I relied on a separate plugin to create proper Kanban boards, and that plugin hadn’t been updated in about a year.

Edgeless and Mind Maps are better than Obsidian Canvas

I have a lot of instruments to play with

I often use visual boards when researching a complex topic or trying to figure out the structure of an article, and AFFiNE stood out for me. Its Edgeless mode looks more polished and visual than Obsidian Canvas.

I get a much richer set of tools for organizing ideas, drawing connections, working with frames, adding images, text and stickers, and treating the space like a proper board rather than a stack of cards.

For example, if I’m working on a client’s website, I can start with a main theme in the center and layer it into different parts of the project. Under each point, I can continue to add observations and possible sections until the whole idea begins to take shape visually.

Obsidian Canvas can handle visual planning, but I find its built-in toolset limited. There are community plugins, but AFFiNE gives me more of this functionality out of the box, and that brings me to the next section.

AFFiNE does more out of the box

Calendar view and templates are convenient

Before I even think about plugins or workarounds, AFFiNE provides the appropriate features. A good example is the built-in calendar view. I can see dates and database records in the correct view without having to deal with third party plugins.

The template system is another little thing that makes a big difference to me. AFFiNE has templates for planning, project tracking, whiteboards, research, Kanban boards, and many other workflows.

I also like how easy it is to bring external content into my workspace. AFFiNE supports embedded web content through the frame block, Figma, and other applications.

And then there’s one of my favorite touches: any document can effectively become a visual workspace. I can start writing on a regular page and switch it to Edgeless when I’m ready to start brainstorming. This transition feels much more natural than keeping separate notes and visual boards.

So AFFiNE is more convenient for me. Obsidian gives me flexibility, but it’s up to me (and third party developers) to build that flexibility.

It can replace more than just Obsidian

I can run everything myself

The more I used AFFiNE, the more I realized that I wasn’t just comparing it to Obsidian anymore. It began to overlap with several other tools in my workflow. AFFiNE integrates documents, databases, whiteboards, project planning, templates, and visual brainstorming in one workspace, so I don’t need a different app for each part of the project.

For example, instead of keeping a separate Trello-style project tracker, I can use a database and a Kanban board. Edgeless can handle a lot of brainstorming that I would normally save for a dedicated whiteboard application.

This is essential to my writing workflow. A single article can include research, screenshots, source links, ideas, timelines, and multiple pre-publication stages. With AFFiNE, I can keep everything under one roof.

I like to run useful services on my own hardware, so the fact that I can deploy AFFiNE on my own server with Docker is a natural fit for the way I work.

Obsidian is still a great app and I can see why so many people swear by it. But AFFiNE made me realize that it was more than just a place to store and link notes.

I want databases, visual scheduling, project tracking, templates, and the ability to self-deploy without having to deal with plugins. That’s where AFFiNE won me over.

I’m not saying everyone should abandon Obsidian overnight, but if your workflow goes beyond simple notes and backlinks, give AFFiNE a try.