Block-Based Models — Document Models

AFFiNE is a collaborative knowledge base and productivity suite designed as a private-first, local-first platform. It provides an integrated workspace that combines structured documents with an infinite digital canvas, allowing users to organize complex information through a block-based model. By prioritizing local data persistence, the platform ensures immediate responsiveness and data sovereignty while maintaining a distributed state for real-time synchronization across multiple devices. The platform distinguishes itself through a canvas-integrated database engine that enables transitions between free-form whiteboarding and structured tabular views. It utilizes conflict-free replicated data types to manage concurrent edits, ensuring consistent collaboration. Users can extend the workspace with modular artificial intelligence integrations, which use natural language prompts to generate, summarize, and transform content into various visual or structured formats. The software is built for self-hosting, allowing teams to maintain full control over their data and infrastructure. It supports container-orchestrated deployment, providing tools for managing private workspaces, authentication, and production-ready environments. The system is designed to be installed and configured on personal or team-managed infrastructure, ensuring that all sensitive information remains within a private, secure, and scalable environment.