AFFiNE vs FastGPT
Short answer
AFFiNE: Notion- and Miro-style workspace (docs, whiteboards, databases) with built-in AI, self-hostable with Docker. FastGPT: Knowledge-base Q&A and visual AI workflow platform. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Choose AFFiNE if you want: fewer license conditions (Open core vs Custom / conditional) and larger community (74.0k vs 29.9k GitHub stars).
Choose FastGPT if you want: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €35.99/mo).
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
AFFiNE vs FastGPT side by side
| AFFiNE | FastGPT | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge base & RAG | Knowledge base & RAG |
| What it is | Notion- and Miro-style workspace (docs, whiteboards, databases) with built-in AI, self-hostable with Docker. | Knowledge-base Q&A and visual AI workflow platform. |
| License | MIT (Community Edition) with Enterprise Edition license for server code | FastGPT Open Source License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) |
| License type | Open core | Custom / conditional |
| License conditions | The README says the Community Edition is free to self-host under the MIT license. The server code under packages/backend carries an AFFiNE Enterprise Edition license that applies to parts not distributed as Community Edition. Self-hosted workspaces get up to 10 seats; more seats need a paid Team Plan or Installable License. | Commercial use is allowed. You need a commercial license to run a multi-tenant SaaS similar to FastGPT, or to remove or modify the logo or copyright in the console. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 74.0k | 29.9k |
| Last commit | Oct 27, 2026 | Oct 29, 2026 |
| Latest release | v0.27.4 | v4.17.2 |
| Minimum hardware | Not published | 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM |
| Recommended hardware | 4 vCPU · 2 GB RAM | 2 vCPU · 8 GB RAM |
| RAM measured by us | Not tested yet | Not tested yet |
| GPU | Not required / not stated | Not required / not stated |
| Est. server cost | from €35.99/mo | from €19.99/mo (recommended spec: €35.99/mo) |
| Deploy method | Docker Compose (official images) | Docker Compose (install script) |
| Known gotchas | 4 listed | 2 listed |
| Telemetry | Not documented | Not documented |
| Calls home by default | Not documented | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Free with limits (OIDC free) | Paid / enterprise only |
| Audit log | Not documented | Not documented |
| RBAC | Not documented | Paid / enterprise only |
| Details | Full AFFiNE guide → | Full FastGPT guide → |
Key differences
- License: AFFiNE: MIT (Community Edition) with Enterprise Edition license for server code (Open core). FastGPT: FastGPT Open Source License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) (Custom / conditional).
- Official hardware: AFFiNE: recommended 4 vCPU · 2 GB RAM (no separate minimum published). FastGPT: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM (recommended 2 vCPU · 8 GB RAM).
- Est. server cost: AFFiNE: from €35.99/mo. FastGPT: from €19.99/mo.
- Deploy: AFFiNE: Docker Compose (official images) · multi-container stack. FastGPT: Docker Compose (install script) · multi-container stack.
- GitHub stars: AFFiNE: 74.0k. FastGPT: 29.9k.
- Last commit: AFFiNE: Oct 27, 2026. FastGPT: Oct 29, 2026.
- Latest release: AFFiNE: v0.27.4 (Aug 18, 2026). FastGPT: v4.17.2 (Oct 9, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; GPU: not required or not stated; Status: Active.
AFFiNE vs FastGPT: FAQ
AFFiNE or FastGPT: which should a small business choose?
Choose AFFiNE if you want: fewer license conditions (Open core vs Custom / conditional) and larger community (74.0k vs 29.9k GitHub stars). Choose FastGPT if you want: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €35.99/mo).
Which is cheaper to self-host, AFFiNE or FastGPT?
FastGPT: cheaper to host (from €19.99/mo vs €35.99/mo).
How much hardware do AFFiNE and FastGPT need?
AFFiNE: recommended 4 vCPU · 2 GB RAM (no separate minimum published). FastGPT: minimum 2 vCPU · 4 GB RAM (recommended 2 vCPU · 8 GB RAM).
What is the license difference between AFFiNE and FastGPT?
AFFiNE: MIT (Community Edition) with Enterprise Edition license for server code (Open core). The README says the Community Edition is free to self-host under the MIT license. The server code under packages/backend carries an AFFiNE Enterprise Edition license that applies to parts not distributed as Community Edition. Self-hosted workspaces get up to 10 seats; more seats need a paid Team Plan or Installable License. FastGPT: FastGPT Open Source License (Apache-2.0 with conditions) (Custom / conditional). Commercial use is allowed. You need a commercial license to run a multi-tenant SaaS similar to FastGPT, or to remove or modify the logo or copyright in the console. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is AFFiNE or FastGPT more actively maintained?
AFFiNE: Active, last commit Oct 27, 2026. FastGPT: Active, last commit Oct 29, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 29, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, AFFiNE or FastGPT?
AFFiNE installs via Docker Compose (official images) (multi-container stack); FastGPT via Docker Compose (install script) (multi-container stack). AFFiNE lists 4 known gotchas and FastGPT lists 2; see each app page.
Related
- AFFiNE self-hosting guide · FastGPT self-hosting guide
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Sources
- AFFiNE GitHub repository: github.com/toeverything/AFFiNE
- AFFiNE documentation: docs.affine.pro/self-host-affine
- AFFiNE license: github.com/toeverything/AFFiNE/blob/canary/LICENSE
- AFFiNE hardware requirements: docs.affine.pro/self-host-affine/install/requirements
- AFFiNE deploy instructions: docs.affine.pro/self-host-affine/install/docker-compose-recommended
- FastGPT GitHub repository: github.com/labring/FastGPT
- FastGPT documentation, FastGPT hardware requirements: doc.fastgpt.io/self-host/deploy/docker
- FastGPT license: github.com/labring/FastGPT/blob/main/LICENSE
- FastGPT deploy instructions: github.com/labring/FastGPT#readme
- Hetzner Cloud pricing used for cost estimates (read 2026-10-25): www.hetzner.com/cloud/regular-performance
- GitHub REST API (stars, commits, releases): docs.github.com/en/rest
Every value is generated from the same verified data as the app pages. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.