AffinevsFocalboard
Two self-hosted Notion alternatives, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Affine | Focalboard | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 63/100 |
| Rank in category | #5 of 42 in Knowledge Management | #12 of 45 in Project Management |
| GitHub stars | 73 932 | 26 528 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 018 | +45 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 4 | 0 |
| Latest release | v0.27.4 · 17 Aug 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Affine scores 80/100 against 63/100 for Focalboard, so it is the safer default.
Affine ships more often: 4 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Focalboard.
If you want the quickest setup, Focalboard is easier to run; Affine needs more configuration.
Affine is growing faster right now (+1 018 stars in 30 days).
Affine details →Focalboard details → All Notion alternatives →
Swap a project
Keep Affine, compare it with
Keep Focalboard, compare it with