Anytype is a local-first knowledge base that stores everything on your own devices and syncs via an encrypted peer-to-peer network. Data is end-to-end encrypted so neither Anytype nor its infrastructure can read your notes, pages, or databases. The client apps are source-available under the Any Source Available License 1.0 (not OSI-approved), while core sync libraries are MIT licensed.
Anytype
anytype.io
Our take
The architecture here is genuinely different from cloud-first tools: your vault lives on your device, sync is optional and encrypted, and the company cannot read your content even if compelled. That is a meaningful privacy guarantee that Notion, Evernote, and most hosted alternatives cannot match. The honest catch is the license: the apps are source-available rather than open-source, so independent security audits of the client code are limited. Self-hosters who want a fully open-source stack will find Memos or Joplin a better fit; for everyone else who wants Notion-style power with real privacy defaults, Anytype is the most credible option available.
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