Anytype vs Reflect: pricing, features and which to choose

Anytype is made by the Any Association, a Swiss-registered organization with its team based largely in Berlin, and it launched publicly in 2023 after a long beta. It positions itself as a privacy-first alternative to Notion: instead of storing your workspace on a company server, Anytype keeps data on your devices, encrypts it with keys only you hold, and syncs changes peer to peer on local networks or through its own sync network called any-sync. The source code is available on GitHub under the Any Source Available License, which permits personal and non-commercial use and self-hosting. Apps run on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, and work fully offline.

Everything in Anytype is an object, such as a page, task, person or book, and each object has a type with its own properties, called relations. Users can define custom types, then build sets and collections that show objects as tables, Kanban boards, galleries, lists, calendars or a graph view of links. The block editor handles text, checklists, tables, images, files, code and embeds. Spaces can be private or shared with Owner, Editor and Viewer roles, and chats inside spaces let teams message and share objects. Templates from the community gallery cover journals, CRMs and project trackers, and pages can be published to the web.

Anytype's appeal is ownership: offline speed, end-to-end encryption, no lock-in to a company server, and a flexible object model. Its drawbacks are a learning curve around types and relations, a small free sync allowance, fewer integrations than Notion and no native AI. Notion is the main hosted alternative, with Notion AI and a large template library. Obsidian is local-first with Markdown files and plugins, including AI plugins. Capacities offers a similar object model with built-in AI, and AppFlowy and Logseq are open-source options. Choose Anytype if privacy and offline access matter most and you are happy to connect AI through MCP.

Reflect began as Alex MacCaw’s networked note-taking company around 2021 and raised just over $1 million through a community funding round. Its original service stored encrypted notes and included daily notes, backlinks, search, calendar context, web capture, and mobile access. In July 2026, MacCaw introduced Reflect Open, a rebuilt local-first app using ordinary Markdown as its source of truth. The Mac app is free and open source, while an iPhone beta is available through TestFlight. Optional AI, transcription, and sync use connected providers or storage. Reflect Pro is listed at $9.99 monthly or $99 yearly in the US App Store, with regional prices varying. Reflect remains independent; SmartBear’s January 2024 acquisition of a separate AI web-testing product called Reflect does not concern Reflect Notes.

A typical workflow begins in a daily note, where users capture writing, meetings, tasks, links, screenshots, and audio. Wiki links connect notes, while backlinks and tags reveal those connections. The Chrome extension saves selected text and page context, and Apple Calendar events can appear beside a daily note. Reflect Open provides a live-preview Markdown editor, local full-text search, optional on-device semantic search, task views, attachments, contacts, and a command-line interface. AI chat answers questions across notes with citations, and selected text can be rewritten, summarized, translated, or processed with a saved prompt. Private notes are excluded from AI requests. The Mac app is free, with optional AI, transcription, and sync using connected providers or storage. iPhone and iPad Pro plans cost $9.99 monthly or $99 yearly.

Reflect’s portability is a strong defense against vendor failure, but users must manage storage, Git or iCloud configuration, provider keys, and backups themselves. The free Mac app is open-source and stores Markdown locally; optional AI, transcription, and sync depend on connected providers or storage. Reflect lacks Notion’s managed collaboration depth, Anytype’s database and team-workspace model, and Obsidian’s mature graph and plugin breadth. It centers daily notes and keeps AI optional through bring-your-own keys. Privacy is strong for local files, but enabled AI or transcription sends selected content outward. Pro costs $9.99 monthly or $99 yearly through the US App Store for iPhone and iPad, with regional prices differing. Pick Reflect for private, Markdown-first personal notes, especially on Mac.