Compare / Anytype vs Heptabase

Anytype vs Heptabase

Anytype is a local-first, end-to-end-encrypted object workspace you can even self-host; Heptabase is a visual learning tool where notes are cards you arrange and connect on infinite whiteboards. Here’s how they compare on pricing, platforms, linking, search, capture and collaboration — and how to decide between them.

What is Anytype?

Anytype wants to be the privacy-maximalist answer to Notion: objects with types, relations and sets, composed from blocks — but stored on your device, end-to-end encrypted, and synced peer-to-peer through a network you can self-host. The source is available (under its own license), and the free plan includes the full feature set with local storage limited only by your disk.

Collaboration arrived in 2024–25 via multiplayer shared Spaces, and publishing to the web followed, so it’s no longer strictly single-player. Paid tiers (Plus $4, Pro $8, Ultra $16 per month) mostly buy network storage rather than features. An official API and MCP server (2025) let AI assistants work with your data — notably, without Anytype itself pushing your notes through cloud AI, in keeping with its privacy stance.

What is Heptabase?

Heptabase is for people who think spatially. Notes are cards; understanding happens by laying them out on infinite whiteboards, drawing connections, grouping into sections and mindmaps, and annotating PDFs alongside. It’s a deliberate take on learning deeply — less “capture everything” and more “make sense of what you’re studying” — and nothing else in this list matches its canvas experience.

Cards support Markdown, backlinks, tags with table views, and journals, so it still functions as a complete note system off the whiteboard. It runs on desktop, web and mobile with offline support and cloud sync. There’s no free plan (7-day trial); 2026 pricing is AI-credit-tiered — Pro at $8.99/month (annual) with Premium tiers above it for heavier AI use.

Anytype vs Heptabase at a glance

Pricing and features as of mid-2026 — check each product’s site for current details.

Where Anytype shines

• The strongest privacy architecture in the category: local-first, end-to-end encrypted, peer-to-peer sync, self-hostable.
• Object types, relations and sets bring real database power to personal notes.
• Nearly everything is free — paid tiers mainly add network storage.
• Official API and MCP server let AI assistants integrate on your terms.

Worth knowing: No web app — desktop and mobile apps only. The object/relation model has a steeper learning curve than plain notes. Web capture, feeds and email-in aren’t part of the picture; it expects you to create, not collect.

Where Heptabase shines

• The best whiteboard-native note experience available — cards, sections, mindmaps and connections feel built-in, not bolted on.
• PDF annotation on the same canvas as your notes suits deep study workflows.
• Tags double as tables, giving light database views over cards.
• Solid offline support with sync across desktop, web and mobile.

Worth knowing: No free plan — only a 7-day trial. Collaboration is limited to shared whiteboards; it’s primarily single-player. Spatial organization is the point — if you don’t think in maps, the canvas is overhead rather than insight.

Which should you choose?

Choose Anytype if:

• End-to-end encryption and local storage are your first filter, not a nice-to-have.
• You want Notion-like structure (types, relations, sets) in a personal tool.
• Self-hosting matters to you, now or as an exit option.

Choose Heptabase if:

• You learn by arranging ideas spatially and drawing the connections yourself.
• You study from PDFs and want annotation living next to your notes.
• A visual overview of a topic matters more to you than fast capture.

A third option: Dexi

If what you actually want is one searchable place for notes, bookmarks, newsletters and RSS — with tags, @mentions and [[wiki links]] that organize themselves as you write, semantic search that finds ideas even when the words don’t match, and an MCP server so Claude and other AI assistants can work with your notes directly — take a look at Dexi. It’s free for up to 1,000 notes, with no app to install.

• Dexi vs Anytype
• Dexi vs Heptabase

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