Is Anytype worth it? Our Review

Top Features, Pros, Cons, Pricing & Reviews

What is Anytype?

Anytype is an open-source, local-first note-taking application for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. It also has a Chrome extension for clipping notes.

Anytype creates notes as objects to save notes with a structure—e.g., meeting, person, book. It also has E2E security on notes and a growing community.

It is a popular Notion alternative in the local-first note-taking community with an ethos and focus on secure note-taking. Anytype uses object-based note-taking to help organize your notes with more structure.

How does Anytype work?

Anytype is a note-taking app that uses object-based note-taking as a system.

This allows you to create notes in the form of objects. These objects can be used to build out notes and create interconnecting relationships between notes. Here's an example of how a note might look like inside of Anytype for taking notes on books:

• Book —This allows you to add the book details, including the author, cover image, and even who recommended it.
• Author — Creating an author as an object might allow you to add future book notes and books to their note profile.
• People — This allows you to connect notes like "who recommended me this book" to the properties, perfect for later, and see what note relationships are made.

A structure like this can help build connections between notes more organically than considering how each note is connected.

Anytype also works as an open-source, local-first, markdown note-taking app, which is a compelling selling point for those who want to secure their notes and use something fast, reliable, and focused on security.

Here's a good beginner's guide on Anytype we've made.

What is Object-Based Note-Taking?

Object-based notes are simple but provide people taking notes with the structure to build more accurate templates for each note. Apps like Anytype and Capacities are some examples of tools that have implemented object-based note-taking into their note apps.

Many people find benefits from object-based note-taking as it helps them save time building a note without worrying about using database templates each time.

Examples of object-based notes and properties:

• Book - Author, ISBN, categories & notes
• Meeting - People, date, type of meeting & meeting notes
• Person - where you met them, relationship & last contacted

These are just some of the primary examples of how object-based note-taking works.

What features do Anytype have?

The main features that are inside of Anytype:

Anytype Pros

• Open-source note-taking
• Local-first and peer-to-peer networking
• Works with markdown and native on desktop
• It comes with sets and collections for set-ups
• Good-rated iOS, and Android on respective App Stores
• Privacy-focused notes with E2E secure notes
• Good community and audience

Anytype Cons

• It can be overwhelming to use
• Limited database abilities compared to Notion
• Still developing features

Video: Anytype Review

Here's some of how Anytype looks in action to get a better idea of how it works:

How much does Anytype cost per month?

Here's all the Anytype pricing updated for you:

Is Anytype free?

Anytype is free, with a limit of 1GB for the network.

Is Anytype like Notion?

Notion is an all-in-one productivity tool, whereas Anytype is more of a note-taking application. However, many features, such as sets, notes, and the ability to change database views, are similar to those in Notion.

Should I get Anytype?

Okay, time to see whether it is right for you.

Anytype is a challenging app to recommend. It straddles the line between being a personal knowledge management (PKM) tool and a new note-taking system. It offers a unique approach by organizing notes with "objects," a relatively new concept.

If you're open to exploring this approach, Anytype is worth considering as you evaluate note-taking applications. Many users choose Anytype for its offline capabilities, local-first storage, and open-source nature. The company seems committed to building a solid product with features beyond essential note-taking. Its availability across various devices and a generous free plan make it accessible to most users.

The free plan's 1 GB storage limit should be sufficient for those who don't frequently attach files or documents to their notes.

While Anytype is a strong contender, we recommend exploring all the note-taking applications available on Tool Finder as you research your options.

Common Questions

Community sourced questions from you about Anytype:

Is Anytype Russian?

The Anytype founders were based in Russia, their home state. However, Anytype Labs is a remote company, with their local GmbH, a subsidiary of the Swiss Association, now based in Berlin.

How does Anytype work?

Anytype works by allowing you to take notes. Notes are stored locally on your Anytype vault and can be accessed locally first, making them more secure and faster.