Outline vs AFFiNE: Which Should You Self-Host?
Quick Verdict
Outline is the better choice for teams that need a production-ready, stable wiki with clean organization and reliable search. AFFiNE is more ambitious — combining docs, whiteboards, and databases — but it’s pre-1.0 software with rough edges. Pick Outline for work today, AFFiNE if you want to bet on its future.
Overview
Outline is a modern wiki and knowledge base built for teams. It uses a clean Markdown editor, supports real-time collaboration, and organizes content into nested collections. It’s been around since 2017 and is mature, well-documented, and actively maintained. The self-hosted version requires PostgreSQL, Redis, and an external authentication provider (OIDC, Google, Slack, etc.).
AFFiNE is a newer project aiming to be an all-in-one workspace — documents, whiteboards, and databases in a single tool. Think Notion meets Miro. It launched in 2022 and is still in active development (v0.x). Self-hosting requires PostgreSQL and Redis.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Outline | AFFiNE |
|---|---|---|
| Document editor | Markdown (rich text) | Block-based (Notion-style) |
| Whiteboard | No | Yes (built-in) |
| Database/table views | No | Yes (Kanban, table) |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes | Yes |
| Nested organization | Collections + documents | Workspaces + pages |
| Search | Full-text, fast | Full-text (improving) |
| API | REST + WebSocket | GraphQL |
| Mobile app | PWA only | PWA + native apps (early) |
| Offline support | Limited | Yes (local-first architecture) |
| Authentication | External OIDC required | Built-in email/password |
| Docker setup complexity | Moderate (4 services) | Moderate (3 services) |
| Maturity | Stable (v1.5+) | Pre-1.0 (v0.26.x) |
| License | BSL 1.1 → Apache 2.0 | AGPL-3.0 (with proprietary modules) |
Installation Complexity
Outline requires four services: the app server, PostgreSQL, Redis, and an OIDC provider. The OIDC requirement is the biggest friction point — you need Keycloak, Authentik, or a cloud provider like Google OAuth before Outline will work. There’s no built-in username/password login. Once auth is configured, the setup is straightforward.
AFFiNE needs three services: the GraphQL server, PostgreSQL, and Redis. It has built-in email/password authentication, making initial setup simpler. However, the self-host deployment process involves running a pre-deploy migration script, which adds a step that can trip up beginners.
Both apps run well on 2 GB of RAM, though AFFiNE’s full stack with whiteboard features can use more under load.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Resource | Outline | AFFiNE |
|---|---|---|
| RAM (idle) | ~300 MB (app + deps) | ~400 MB (app + deps) |
| RAM (active use) | ~500-800 MB | ~600-1000 MB |
| CPU | Low | Low-moderate |
| Disk | Minimal + uploads | Minimal + uploads |
| Startup time | Fast (<10s) | Moderate (~15-20s with migrations) |
Outline is leaner overall. AFFiNE’s whiteboard and block editor features consume more client-side and server-side resources.
Community and Support
Outline has ~29,000+ GitHub stars, regular releases, good documentation, and an active Discord community. The project has a clear roadmap and consistent development pace.
AFFiNE has ~45,000+ GitHub stars (partly driven by hype around the “open-source Notion” positioning), fast development pace, but documentation for self-hosting is thinner. Breaking changes between versions are common given the pre-1.0 status.
Use Cases
Choose Outline If…
- You need a stable, production-ready team wiki today
- Your team already has an OIDC provider (Keycloak, Google Workspace, Okta)
- Clean document organization and search are priorities
- You want reliable, battle-tested software
- Markdown compatibility matters to you
Choose AFFiNE If…
- You want docs, whiteboards, and databases in one tool
- You prefer a Notion-like block editor over Markdown
- Offline/local-first capability is important
- You’re willing to tolerate breaking changes for cutting-edge features
- Built-in auth (no external OIDC) is a requirement
Final Verdict
Outline wins for teams that need a knowledge base now. It’s stable, well-organized, and does the wiki/docs job excellently. The OIDC requirement is annoying but reasonable for team deployments.
AFFiNE is the more exciting project with broader ambitions, but it’s not ready for production team use. If you’re experimenting or want an all-in-one workspace and can tolerate occasional rough patches, AFFiNE is worth watching. For anything mission-critical, use Outline.
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