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In an Oct. 20, 2026, XDA first-person report, Mahnoor Faisal says she replaced Notion, Obsidian and Google Keep with AFFiNE to bring notes, databases and visual brainstorming into one workspace. Her account describes a personal workflow choice, not an independent comparison or evidence that AFFiNE is best for all users.

XDA Developers published a first-person report on Oct. 20 in which technology journalist Mahnoor Faisal says she has replaced Notion, Obsidian and Google Keep with AFFiNE, an app that combines note-taking, databases and an infinite canvas. The account describes one writer’s experience consolidating her workflow; it does not establish that AFFiNE is a better fit for every user.

Faisal said she had used the three apps for different jobs: Notion for organizing, Obsidian for connecting ideas and research, and Google Keep for quick notes. Switching among them, along with other apps for drawing and annotation, left her notes and related work spread across multiple places. AFFiNE appealed to her as a single workspace for those activities.

The article describes AFFiNE as an open-source, local-first note-taking and knowledge-management app. Its feature set includes documents, databases and an infinite whiteboard called Edgeless mode, with tools such as freehand drawing, shapes, arrows and sticky notes. The report says the app is available as a desktop application for Windows, macOS and Linux, through a browser, and on iOS and Android. It also supports self-hosting with Docker Compose.

Faisal said AFFiNE felt easier to start using than the more configurable setups she had built in Notion and Obsidian. She values being able to begin with straightforward notes and add features such as tags, collections and the canvas as needed. She also cautioned that advanced tools still require some learning. Her assessment reflects her own use rather than a measured test of performance, reliability or suitability across platforms.

One Workspace, Fewer App Switches

The report speaks to a practical problem for people whose notes, research and brainstorming live in separate apps: context can be scattered, and switching tools adds friction to everyday work. An app that puts written notes and visual planning together may appeal to users who want fewer places to maintain, particularly if they already use a mix of document editors, note apps and whiteboards.

That convenience involves a trade-off. Notion, Obsidian and Keep each have their own workflows and strengths, and users may rely on features or integrations that a consolidated app does not reproduce. The article gives no independent feature-by-feature comparison and does not test data portability, collaboration, syncing or long-term reliability. It is best read as a report of one person’s decision, not a verdict on the competing products.

Why the Writer Changed Apps

Faisal described a long-standing habit of taking notes but said she had struggled to settle on a single tool. In her workflow, Notion handled organization, Obsidian supported linked research notes, and Keep served for quick thoughts. She also sometimes turned to Goodnotes or Apple Notes for handwritten material and annotation, adding more places to manage.

The XDA article situates AFFiNE as a blend of familiar categories: documents and databases alongside a canvas for visual work. It also notes that XDA colleagues had previously praised the app; one colleague characterized it as combining qualities associated with Obsidian, Notion, Miro and NotebookLM in a minimalist package. That characterization is an opinion, not an independently verified product comparison.

“I finally replaced all three with a single app.”

— Mahnoor Faisal, XDA Developers

What the Personal Account Cannot Establish

The source is a first-person review-style report, not a controlled comparison. It does not establish whether AFFiNE matches the other apps on particular features, works equally well across its desktop, browser and mobile versions, or meets the needs of teams and users with complex databases or linked-note systems. The article also does not provide measured results for speed, uptime, synchronization or data migration.

Although the source describes AFFiNE as open-source and local-first and says self-hosting is available, it does not explain the precise data-handling behavior of each version or detail what is stored locally versus remotely. Readers evaluating privacy, backup and collaboration should check the current product documentation and settings. Faisal’s preference for the desktop app is personal; she says she does not want to maintain a self-hosted setup.

Check Features Before Switching

The article does not announce a product release, upcoming update or formal migration plan. For readers considering the same change, a practical next step is to try AFFiNE on the platform they use and test a small set of everyday tasks: capturing a quick note, organizing documents, building a database and using Edgeless mode. They can then check whether the app supports the features they depend on in Notion, Obsidian, Keep or their drawing tools.

Anyone planning to move an established archive should review export and import options, backup behavior, sync requirements and collaboration needs before making AFFiNE the sole home for important notes. The source does not say whether Faisal has migrated every note or stopped using the other apps in every circumstance, so the scope and durability of her switch remain personal and ongoing.

Key Questions

What is the news about AFFiNE?

XDA journalist Mahnoor Faisal says she replaced Notion, Obsidian and Google Keep with AFFiNE to bring her note-taking and visual brainstorming into one workspace.

What does AFFiNE include?

The source describes documents, databases and an infinite canvas called Edgeless mode, with drawing and annotation tools. It says AFFiNE is available on desktop, in a browser and on iOS and Android.

Is AFFiNE proven to be better than Notion or Obsidian?

No. The report presents one writer’s experience and preferences; it does not offer a controlled comparison or establish that AFFiNE is better for other users.

Can AFFiNE be self-hosted?

According to the source, AFFiNE supports self-hosting through Docker Compose. The article does not detail the setup or compare the data-handling behavior of self-hosted and other versions.

Has the writer stopped using every other note app?

The article says she replaced Notion, Obsidian and Google Keep with AFFiNE, but it does not confirm that she has migrated every note or stopped using all other apps in every situation.

Source: XDA Developers