Beginner's Guide to Anytype: Everything You Need to Know

Unlocking the powers of note-taking app Anytype and helping you understand how to use it and get started with the basics of your workspace.

If you’re new to Anytype, you’re about to explore one of the most innovative note-taking apps on the market.

This beginner’s guide will walk you through its standout features—object-based note-taking, like Capacities, secure encryption, and customizable workspaces—so you can harness its full potential for your projects and personal organization.

Whether you’re looking to streamline your workflow or enhance your personal knowledge management, Anytype offers a robust and secure solution. Let’s dive in and discover how to get started with this versatile tool.

Quick Facts

• Pricing: Free, $99 per year
• Best For: Note-taking for individuals
• Features: Object note-taking, fast offline functions & open-source

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.

1. Setting Up Anytype

Before diving into Anytype’s features, you must download the app. Anytype is available on all major platforms, including macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. It also has a Chrome extension for quick access via your browser. Once downloaded, you can start by creating your first workspace.

2. Creating Your First Workspace

A workspace in Anytype is a dedicated area where you can store and manage all your notes, objects, and data. To create a new workspace:

• Open Anytype and select the option to create a new space
• Name your workspace and decide whether it will be for personal use or a team project.
• You can create multiple workspaces, each tailored to different projects or aspects of your life. This makes it easy to keep your work and personal notes separate and organized.

The free plan limits you to three shared spaces, so if you need more, consider upgrading to a paid plan. This can be secured each time and you can scan with the app to port that space into your mobile access too.

3. What is Object-Based Note-Taking?

Object-based note-taking is at the core of Anytype.

Unlike traditional notes that are often linear and isolated, Anytype treats each piece of information as an “object.” Here’s how it works, and it is essential to know this:

• Objects: Everything in Anytype is an object, whether a meeting, a person, a book, or a task. This allows you to effortlessly link and relate different types of content.
• Templates: When you create an object, you can apply a template that automatically organizes the information in a consistent format. For example, a “Recipe” object includes fields for ingredients, instructions, etc.

This approach helps you maintain a structured and interconnected note-taking system.

4. Using Workspaces for Collaboration

Anytype’s workspaces are not just for individual use—they’re also designed for collaboration. Here’s how you can use them:

• Shared Spaces: Invite team members to your workspace to collaborate on projects. The free plan allows up to three shared spaces, ideal for small teams or personal projects.
• Permissions: Manage each member's permissions, ensuring everyone can edit or view content.

5. Taking Notes with Markdown

Anytype offers robust Markdown support, making formatting your notes with headings, lists, and links more accessible. To get started with Markdown:

• Type in your content and use Markdown syntax to apply formatting. For example, use # for headings, * for bullet points, and **bold** for bold text.
• You can also access various text formatting options using keyboard shortcuts, streamlining your workflow.

6. File & Docs

You can enhance your notes in Anytype by attaching files such as PDFs, audio clips, videos, and URLs. Here’s how:

• When you’re in a note, click the attachment icon to upload your file.

• Remember, in the free plan, all uploaded files count toward your 1 GB network storage limit. Be mindful of how much data you store to avoid hitting this limit.

7. Using Graph & Backlinks

One of Anytype’s standout features is its ability to visualize the relationships between different notes and objects:

• Backlinks: When you create an object and reference another, Anytype automatically creates a backlink. For instance, if you create a “Meeting” object and mention a “Person” object, a link is made between the two.
• Graph View: This feature allows you to see a visual map of all your objects' connections. It’s perfect for getting a bird' s-eye view of your projects and determining how different information relates.

8. Collections vs Sets

Databases in Anytype are divided into collections and sets:

• Collections: Think of a collection as a general database that can hold various types of objects without specific categorization.
• Sets: Sets are more focused collections based on object types. For example, you can create a set that includes only “Task” objects, helping you narrow down your focus.

This feature is handy for managing content calendars, CRM systems, or task lists.

Anytype Features Explored

The main features that are inside of Anytype and how they help

Note-Taking (B+)

Connect notes in Anytype and bring a sense of brain-like organization to your vault. Many people like how Anytype balances the traditional feel of note-taking apps with the more modern PKM-style tools that can help you organize ideas and thoughts in one place.

Object-Based Concept (A+)

Organize your notes as objects before you begin them; this allows you to save templates and replicate them as you use them throughout your account. It will also allow the Anytype system to be aware you are adding a person, book notes, ideas, bugs, etc. This gives you more customization to your account and speed the more you use it.

Databases (B-)

In Anytype, there’s a feature called Sets, which lets you create databases based on specific attributes like objects. You can then organize these sets using six different views: Grid, Gallery, List, Kanban, Calendar, and Graph. While these views offer flexibility, they can be challenging to implement alongside the object-based system, and it may take some time to grasp how they function fully.

For many users, views like Calendar, Graph, and Gallery expand how they interact with their notes, making information easier to visualize. However, for those coming from apps like Notion, Anytype might not feel as immediately powerful or suitable for their needs. That said, Anytype’s strong security features and the likely evolution of its database functions make it worth exploring. As the platform continues to improve, these features are expected to become even more robust.

Networked Thought (B)

See the way your notes connect with graph view in Anytype and the abilities like flow that allow you to see the relationship and knock-on effect of the notes in your workspaces.

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

Cons:

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

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

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.

Limitations of Free Plan in Anytype

Remember that the free plan has some limitations: 1 GB of network storage, three shared spaces, and the ability to collaborate with up to three space members.

This plan still offers robust features, but if you need more storage or collaboration tools, consider upgrading to a paid plan.

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.

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.