Comparison
Baalda vs Anytype: which second brain fits your team?
Open-source, local-first, encrypted object database.
Pick Anytype if you want an open-source, encrypted, object-based personal knowledge base with peer-to-peer sync. Pick Baalda if you want your notes to stay as plain markdown files on disk, edited by a team in real time, with per-file permissions and AI over MCP.
At a glance
| Feature | Baalda | Anytype |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time multi-user editing | Yes — CRDT, keystroke-level | Partial — multiplayer spaces |
| Notes are plain markdown files on your disk | Yes | No — own object format |
| Local-first (works offline, you own the files) | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes — Apache-2.0 | Yes |
| AI reads & writes your files (MCP) | Yes | No |
| Per-file permissions | Yes | Partial — space-level |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Partial — self-host backend |
| Price | Free + Team plan | Free |
Where Anytype is the better choice
- Encrypted, object-based model with peer-to-peer sync.
- Open source with strong privacy defaults.
- Flexible object types and relations.
Where Baalda wins
- Notes are plain markdown files on disk, not a bespoke object format.
- Keystroke-level real-time collaboration via CRDT, with per-file permissions.
- AI over MCP writing to the same markdown files.
Can you switch?
Export from Anytype to markdown and import into Baalda, where your knowledge becomes plain files your team edits live.
Frequently asked questions
Anytype is open source too — how is Baalda different?
Anytype stores knowledge in an encrypted object database; Baalda keeps everything as plain markdown files on disk. Baalda also centers real-time team editing and AI-over-MCP on those files.
Which is more team-focused, Anytype or Baalda?
Baalda is built around a shared team vault with per-file permissions and keystroke-level collaboration, while Anytype leans toward private, encrypted personal spaces.