AFFiNE vs Onyx (formerly Danswer)
Short answer
AFFiNE: Notion- and Miro-style workspace (docs, whiteboards, databases) with built-in AI, self-hostable with Docker. Onyx (formerly Danswer): AI chat and enterprise search connected to 50+ workplace apps. Both are in our Knowledge base & RAG category.
Choose AFFiNE if you want: cheaper to host (from €35.99/mo vs €69.99/mo) and larger community (74.0k vs 33.1k GitHub stars).
Last updated · computed from each project's official docs and live GitHub data · sources
AFFiNE vs Onyx (formerly Danswer) side by side
| AFFiNE | Onyx (formerly Danswer) | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AI chat and enterprise search connected to 50+ workplace apps. |
| License | MIT (Community Edition) with Enterprise Edition license for server code | MIT (Community Edition) + Onyx Enterprise License (ee directories) |
| License type | Open core | Open core |
| 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. | The Community Edition is MIT. Code in "ee" directories is under the Onyx Enterprise License. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| GitHub stars | 74.0k | 33.1k |
| Last commit | Oct 27, 2026 | Oct 29, 2026 |
| Latest release | v0.27.4 | v5.0.1 |
| Minimum hardware | Not published | 4 vCPU · 10 GB RAM · 32 GB disk |
| Recommended hardware | 4 vCPU · 2 GB RAM | 8 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 500 GB disk |
| 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 €69.99/mo |
| Deploy method | Docker Compose (official images) | Install script (Docker Compose) |
| Known gotchas | 4 listed | 4 listed |
| Telemetry | Not documented | On by default |
| Calls home by default | Not documented | Not documented |
| SSO (OIDC / SAML / LDAP) | Free with limits (OIDC free) | Not documented |
| Audit log | Not documented | Not documented |
| RBAC | Not documented | Paid / enterprise only |
| Details | Full AFFiNE guide → | Full Onyx (formerly Danswer) guide → |
Key differences
- License: AFFiNE: MIT (Community Edition) with Enterprise Edition license for server code (Open core). Onyx (formerly Danswer): MIT (Community Edition) + Onyx Enterprise License (ee directories) (Open core).
- Official hardware: AFFiNE: recommended 4 vCPU · 2 GB RAM (no separate minimum published). Onyx (formerly Danswer): minimum 4 vCPU · 10 GB RAM · 32 GB disk (recommended 8 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 500 GB disk).
- Est. server cost: AFFiNE: from €35.99/mo. Onyx (formerly Danswer): from €69.99/mo.
- Deploy: AFFiNE: Docker Compose (official images) · multi-container stack. Onyx (formerly Danswer): Install script (Docker Compose) · multi-container stack.
- GitHub stars: AFFiNE: 74.0k. Onyx (formerly Danswer): 33.1k.
- Last commit: AFFiNE: Oct 27, 2026. Onyx (formerly Danswer): Oct 29, 2026.
- Latest release: AFFiNE: v0.27.4 (Aug 18, 2026). Onyx (formerly Danswer): v5.0.1 (Oct 26, 2026).
Same for both: Category: Knowledge base & RAG; GPU: not required or not stated; Status: Active.
AFFiNE vs Onyx (formerly Danswer): FAQ
AFFiNE or Onyx (formerly Danswer): which should a small business choose?
Choose AFFiNE if you want: cheaper to host (from €35.99/mo vs €69.99/mo) and larger community (74.0k vs 33.1k GitHub stars).
Which is cheaper to self-host, AFFiNE or Onyx (formerly Danswer)?
AFFiNE: cheaper to host (from €35.99/mo vs €69.99/mo).
How much hardware do AFFiNE and Onyx (formerly Danswer) need?
AFFiNE: recommended 4 vCPU · 2 GB RAM (no separate minimum published). Onyx (formerly Danswer): minimum 4 vCPU · 10 GB RAM · 32 GB disk (recommended 8 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 500 GB disk).
What is the license difference between AFFiNE and Onyx (formerly Danswer)?
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. Onyx (formerly Danswer): MIT (Community Edition) + Onyx Enterprise License (ee directories) (Open core). The Community Edition is MIT. Code in "ee" directories is under the Onyx Enterprise License. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Is AFFiNE or Onyx (formerly Danswer) more actively maintained?
AFFiNE: Active, last commit Oct 27, 2026. Onyx (formerly Danswer): Active, last commit Oct 29, 2026. GitHub data refreshed Oct 29, 2026.
Which is easier to deploy, AFFiNE or Onyx (formerly Danswer)?
AFFiNE installs via Docker Compose (official images) (multi-container stack); Onyx (formerly Danswer) via Install script (Docker Compose) (multi-container stack). AFFiNE lists 4 known gotchas and Onyx (formerly Danswer) lists 4; see each app page.
Related
- AFFiNE self-hosting guide · Onyx (formerly Danswer) self-hosting guide
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- Add a third app in the interactive comparison
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
- Onyx (formerly Danswer) GitHub repository: github.com/onyx-dot-app/onyx
- Onyx (formerly Danswer) documentation, Onyx (formerly Danswer) hardware requirements: docs.onyx.app/deployment/getting_started/resourcing
- Onyx (formerly Danswer) license: github.com/onyx-dot-app/onyx/blob/main/LICENSE
- Onyx (formerly Danswer) deploy instructions: github.com/onyx-dot-app/onyx#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.