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Comparison · Collab

AFFiNE vs EGroupware

A side-by-side editorial comparison of AFFiNE and EGroupware — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Shared themes:self-hosting

AFFiNE vs EGroupware: at a glance

FeatureAFFiNEEGroupware
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score6.35.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesself-hosting, canary builds, byok, mcpsecurity, self-hosting, groupware, end-of-life
Last editorial update4d ago7d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is AFFiNE?

The nightly canary keeps shipping, and self-hosting just got a one-click path.

AFFiNE publishes a dated canary build most days alongside a slower beta line, and the two carry the same commits at different points on the maturity curve. The recent stream is maintenance-shaped: dependency security bumps in Mermaid and Electron, a journal lookup fix for trashed docs, retry handling for failed transcription jobs. The last directional move was workspace BYOK profiles with model catalogs and key rotation in early August, which sits on top of the MCP credential work from July.

Read the full AFFiNE trajectory →

What is EGroupware?

EGroupware's feed has become a security treadmill, with the 23.1 branch days from end of life.

Almost every release in this window is a security release, and most ship as a pair — one build for 26.x, an identical-scope backport for 23.1. Feature work exists but arrives as single lines inside those security notes: WebAuthN two-factor moving out of the former EPL add-on, OpenID bumped to current upstream libraries, invoice XML gaining reverse-charge exemption codes. The recurring theme in the fixes themselves is authentication — OAuth bearer tokens, OpenID regressions, an inverted email_verified check, passkeys broken by a missing proxy config.

Read the full EGroupware trajectory →

AFFiNE vs EGroupware: editorial side-by-side

A
AFFiNE
COLLAB
6.3

The nightly canary keeps shipping, and self-hosting just got a one-click path.

◆ Current state

AFFiNE publishes a dated canary build most days alongside a slower beta line, and the two carry the same commits at different points on the maturity curve. The recent stream is maintenance-shaped: dependency security bumps in Mermaid and Electron, a journal lookup fix for trashed docs, retry handling for failed transcription jobs. The last directional move was workspace BYOK profiles with model catalogs and key rotation in early August, which sits on top of the MCP credential work from July.

◆ Where it's heading

Two threads run in parallel. The AI thread is about who supplies and controls the model - BYOK profiles, MCP credentials, access modes - rather than adding model features. The other thread is self-host ergonomics, and the Render blueprint is the clearest recent instance: AFFiNE keeps lowering the cost of running your own instance while keeping the AI layer pluggable. Between those, the canary absorbs a steady flow of upstream security patches with little product change attached.

◆ Prediction

Expect the self-host track to keep collecting deploy targets and the BYOK work to extend to more provider surfaces; on current cadence the next 0.27 beta will consolidate the canary work rather than introduce anything new.

E5.0

EGroupware's feed has become a security treadmill, with the 23.1 branch days from end of life.

◆ Current state

Almost every release in this window is a security release, and most ship as a pair — one build for 26.x, an identical-scope backport for 23.1. Feature work exists but arrives as single lines inside those security notes: WebAuthN two-factor moving out of the former EPL add-on, OpenID bumped to current upstream libraries, invoice XML gaining reverse-charge exemption codes. The recurring theme in the fixes themselves is authentication — OAuth bearer tokens, OpenID regressions, an inverted email_verified check, passkeys broken by a missing proxy config.

◆ Where it's heading

The project is consolidating everyone onto 26.x and has put a date on it: security coverage for 23.1 ends August 15, 2026, repeated as a warning in every 23.1 build since July. After that the twin-release pattern should stop and the cadence should halve. The authentication stack is the least settled part of the codebase right now — the July and August releases keep re-fixing OpenID and WebAuthN regressions introduced by their own predecessors.

◆ Prediction

Expect 23.1 builds to cease after August 15 and the feed to become single-track 26.x. On the evidence of the last six releases, expect at least one more OpenID or WebAuthN regression fix to follow the recent upstream library bump.

Alternatives to AFFiNE and EGroupware

Other Collab products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either AFFiNE or EGroupware.

See all AFFiNE alternatives → · See all EGroupware alternatives →

Recent activity from AFFiNE and EGroupware

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 5d agoAFFiNEOne-click self-host deploy via Render blueprint
  2. 6d agoAFFiNEFailed transcription jobs can be retried without being recreated
  3. 7d agoEGroupwareSecurity release fixes passkey regression and OAuth token errors
  4. 8d agoAFFiNETrashed journals no longer surface in date lookups
  5. 9d agoAFFiNEMermaid 11.16.1 patches an XY-chart denial-of-service flaw
  6. 10d agoAFFiNEElectron 39.8.10 fixes a spoofable code-sign check
  7. 13d agoAFFiNEAtlaskit drag-and-drop auto-scroll upgraded to v3
  8. 14d agoEGroupware23.1 security release; branch support ends August 15
  9. 14d agoEGroupwareWebAuthN two-factor moves into core, plus security fixes
  10. 26d agoEGroupwareSecurity release repairs merge-print and ImportExport regressions
  11. 26d agoEGroupware23.1 security backport with end-of-support warning
  12. 1mo agoEGroupwareTwo more security fixes for the 23.1 branch

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between AFFiNE and EGroupware?

Both compete on the same themes — self-hosting — within Collab. AFFiNE is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is AFFiNE better than EGroupware?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. AFFiNE is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Collab products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to AFFiNE?

Top AFFiNE alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "AFFiNE alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/affine for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to EGroupware?

Top EGroupware alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "EGroupware alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/egroupware for the full list with editorial commentary on each.