☁️ Notion: The Cloud Powerhouse
What We Like
- ✅ Fast note-taking
- ✅ Cross-device syncing
- ✅ Powerful databases & to-do lists
But Here’s the Catch:
- ❌ Cloud-only: Always relies on their infrastructure
- ❌ No end-to-end encryption: Data can technically be accessed
- ❌ No self-hosting: You’re locked into their platform
🔒 Anytype: The Encrypted, Local-First Alternative
Anytype is an open-source, encrypted, offline-capable note-taking and knowledge app designed for users who care about privacy and control.| Feature | Notion | Anytype |
|---|---|---|
| 🔐 End-to-end encryption | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| 🌐 Offline functionality | ❌ Limited | ✅ Full |
| 🧠 Local-first model | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| 💾 Self-hostable sync backend | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| 🧩 Open-source components | ❌ Closed | ✅ Partially open |
Anytype gives you full control over how you sync: you can choose to keep everything on one device only, manually transfer data to others, or use Anytype Cloud or your own server as a sync source.
✨ More Awesome Features in Anytype
- 📚 Types and Relations: Build structured, linked data like a personal database
- 🔗 Bi-directional linking: Just like Roam or Obsidian, but visual
- 🌈 Beautiful visual graph view: See your ideas and knowledge in a network
- 🧩 Templating system: Great for recurring structures (e.g. meeting notes, journal entries)
- 📥 Offline-first by design: Use it anywhere – airplane mode approved
🧪 Try Self-Hosting with Our Auto-Installer
Yes – you can host your own AnySync network (the backend behind Anytype sync) with a single command using our automated script.What it does:
- 🛠️ Installs Docker and dependencies
- 🔐 Generates secure random credentials
- 📁 Creates a full .env setup
- 🌀 Starts and verifies the service once
- ⚙️ Configures systemd and UFW firewall
Download the installer:
➡️ Click here to get the script and run it on a clean Ubuntu server.
wget / curl commands:
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tenbyte/public/refs/heads/main/anysync.sh -O anysync.sh
# or
curl -o anysync.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tenbyte/public/refs/heads/main/anysync.sh
chmod +x anysync.sh
./anysync.sh
This script installs https://github.com/anyproto/any-sync-dockercompose on a clean Ubuntu server.
📡 Optional: You can also place your AnySync setup behind a reverse proxy like NGINX (e.g. using NGINX Proxy Manager) to expose it publicly using your own domain.
🏡 Home Use or More?
This image is suitable for running your personal self-hosted any-sync network for home use. If you plan to self-host a heavily used any-sync network, please consider using other options, such as a Puppet or Ansible module.
If you’re just syncing your personal data, one VM or server is all you need. For teams or heavier use, you can explore the Puppet/Ansible solution.
🚀 Final Thoughts
Notion is amazing for collaboration and UI polish. But if you’re serious about digital sovereignty, privacy, and owning your infrastructure, then Anytype is the future.
With our one-line installer, you’re up and running in minutes – no cloud dependency, no compromises. Use it offline, self-host it, or sync through the cloud – it’s your choice.
Try it today and sync on your own terms. 🔐