How to Use Anytype: A Quick Start Guideline 2026

Quick Start

This guide covers every Anytype feature:

• Getting Started — Create your account and set up the app
• How to Use Personal and Work PKM — Split personal knowledge and work into separate Spaces
• How to Use Team Space — Share a Space with a peer and sync edits across the network
• How to Use Data Vault — Keep sensitive files in one secure, local first storage vault
• How to Use CRM (Basic Approach) — Track contacts with relations, properties and a grid table
• How to Use Habit Tracker — Build a habit database you can track every single day
• How to Use Graph-Based Structure — See how different pieces of your knowledge connect
• How to Use Customizable Types — Design your own object Types and page layouts
• How to Use Sets & Bi-Directional Linking — Group related notes automatically and link them both ways
• How to Use End-to-End Encryption — Lock your data so only your device can read it

Time needed: 5 minutes per feature

Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | Troubleshooting | Pricing | Alternatives

Why Trust This Guide

I’ve run Anytype as my daily note taking app for eight months across a laptop, a desktop computer and a phone.

Every step below comes from real use — not vendor screenshots.

Anytype is an open-source, local first storage app for personal knowledge management.

It stores notes, tasks, projects and files as objects on your own device.

Most users only touch the basics and never explore the graph.

This guide shows you how to use Anytype end to end, feature by feature.

Anytype Tutorial

This How to Use Anytype tutorial walks through every feature step by step, from your first page to advanced knowledge management tricks.

Anytype

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Getting Started with Anytype

Before touching any feature, finish this one-time setup.

It takes about three minutes.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to the Anytype website and download the app for your computer or phone.

Open it and pick Create new vault.

You get a 12-word recovery phrase instead of a password.

✓ Checkpoint: Write that phrase down offline — nobody can reset it for you.

Step 2: Learn the Three Layers

The app organizes everything into Spaces, objects and the graph.

Spaces are your top-level boundaries, like Personal and Work.

Here’s how my own workspace looks after a few months of writing:

✓ Checkpoint: You should see a sidebar, a search bar and an empty home page.

Step 3: Set Your Preferences

Open Settings and choose your theme, default object type and sync preferences.

Pin your favourite Sets to the sidebar for one-click access.

How to Use Anytype Personal and Work PKM

Personal and Work PKM splits your digital knowledge into separate vaults so work never mixes with personal notes.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create Two Spaces

Click your profile icon, then Create Space.

Name one Personal and one Work.

Spaces are the highest level of separation, so nothing bleeds between them.

Step 2: Pick Your Types

Inside each Space, decide which Types you need.

Personal might use Note, Book and Habit.

Work usually needs Project, Meeting Note and Task.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Two Spaces appear in your sidebar switcher.

Step 3: Capture Something

Use Quick Capture to jot down tasks, ideas and notes fast.

Sort them into the right Space later, when you have focus.

How to Use Anytype Team

Team Space lets you share a Space with other users so projects stay in sync.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open a Shared Space

Create a new Space and open the sharing panel.

Generate an invite link and send it to a peer.

Step 2: Set Member Access

Choose viewer or editor access for each member.

Editors can add objects; viewers only read.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your teammate’s avatar shows next to the Space name.

Step 3: Work in Parallel

Edits sync across every device on the peer-to-peer network.

Changes queue locally when there’s no internet connection.

How to Use Anytype Data Vault

Data Vault turns Anytype into a private locker for contracts, IDs and receipts.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create a Vault Space

Make a Space named Vault for sensitive documents.

Set it to your most private security level.

Step 2: Add Your Files

Drag files straight onto a page.

Anytype stores them locally, not on a third-party drive.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your files appear as objects you can link from anywhere.

Step 3: Tag and Retrieve

Add relations like Category, Expiry and Source.

Search pulls the right file back in seconds.

How to Use Anytype CRM (Basic Approach)

CRM (Basic Approach) gives you a lightweight CRM without paying for a separate database tool.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Build a Contact Type

Open Types and create a new Type called Contact.

Add relations for Company, Status, Email and Last Touch.

Step 2: Create a Set

Sets are dynamic queries that pull in every object of one Type.

Make a Set of Contacts and switch it to grid view.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A live table of contacts that updates itself.

Step 3: Filter and Sort

Filter by Status to see only warm leads.

Sort by Last Touch so nobody goes cold.

How to Use Anytype Habit Tracker

Habit Tracker turns daily routines into objects you can track, filter and chart.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Make a Habit Type

Create a Type called Habit with a Date and a Checkbox relation.

Add a Notes field for context.

Step 2: Log Daily Entries

Create one object per day, per habit.

Tick the checkbox when you finish.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A month grid with your streak filled in.

Step 3: Review in Calendar View

Switch your Set to calendar view.

Gaps in the month show exactly where you slipped.

How to Use Anytype Graph-Based Structure

Graph-Based Structure maps every link between your objects so connecting ideas becomes visual.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Graph View

Click the graph icon in the sidebar.

Every object appears as a node.

Step 2: Read the Clusters

Thick clusters show topics you write about often.

Lonely nodes are notes nobody links to.

The connections between tasks and broader projects become obvious here.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A live map of your notes and their relationships.

Step 3: Follow a Thread

Click any node to open it.

Use the graph to see how different pieces of a project connect.

How to Use Anytype Customizable Layout

Customizable Types lets you customize the format of every object instead of forcing one page style.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Duplicate a Base Type

Open any Type and duplicate it.

Rename the copy to match your workflow.

For instance, a Book Type can carry Author, Rating and Status.

That one example explains the whole model.

Step 2: Design the Layout

Choose a layout — page, note, profile or task.

Set which properties show at the top of every object.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your new Type appears when you create an object.

Step 3: Save as a Template

Save your finished object as a template.

Pre-made templates load the same structure every time.

How to Use Anytype Sets & Bi-Directional Linking Tool

Sets & Bi-Directional Linking groups objects automatically and connects them in both directions.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Create a Set

Click New, then Set, and choose a Type to query.

The Set auto-fills with every matching object.

Step 2: Add a Collection

Collections are manual groups that work like folders.

Drag mixed objects in by hand.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A filtered table plus a Linked From section on each page.

Step 3: Link Your Notes

Type @ inside any page to link related notes.

The backlink appears automatically on the other object.

How to Use Anytype End-to-End Encryption

End-to-End Encryption encrypts every object so your data stays unreadable to anyone else.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Check Your Encryption

Open Settings, then Data and Security.

Confirm end-to-end encryption is active for the Space.

Step 2: Store Your Key

Your recovery phrase is the only key to your data.

Keep a paper copy somewhere safe.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your vault opens with no internet connection at all.

Step 3: Test Offline Access

Turn off Wi-Fi and open the app.

Everything still loads from your device.

Anytype Pro Tips and Shortcuts

After eight months of daily use, these are the tips that saved me the most time.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Here are the benefits that made me switch:

Hidden Features Most People Miss

• Side Bar Pinning: Pin a Set or page to the sidebar. Super helpful once your vault passes a few hundred objects.
• Subtasks by relation: Add an object relation named Subtasks to link a task to smaller tasks.
• Gallery view: Switch any Set to gallery when the cover image matters more than the title.
• Community resources: The Anytype community publishes free Anytype tutorials, templates and videos worth copying.

Anytype Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Treating Every Object Like a Folder

Mistake #2: Skipping Relations Early On

Mistake #3: Losing the Recovery Phrase

Anytype Troubleshooting

Problem: Devices Won’t Sync

Cause: One device hasn’t connected to the peer network since your last edit.

Fix: Open the app on both devices at once and leave them online for a minute.

Problem: A Set Shows No Results

Cause: Your filter targets a relation that the objects don’t actually carry.

Fix: Open the filter panel, clear each condition, then add them back one at a time.

Problem: The Graph Looks Like Noise

Cause: Every object is showing at once, including files and images.

Fix: Use the graph settings to hide unlinked objects and filter down to a single Type.

📌 Note: If none of these help, the Anytype community forum answers most issues within a day.

What is Anytype?

Anytype is an open-source note taking and knowledge management app built around objects instead of files.

Think of it like a private Notion that lives on your computer.

Watch this quick overview:

It includes these key features:

• Personal and Work PKM: Separate Spaces for personal knowledge and work projects
• Team Space: Shared Spaces where a peer can edit alongside you
• Data Vault: A private home for files, contracts and receipts
• CRM (Basic Approach): Contact tracking built from relations and a grid table
• Habit Tracker: A habit database you can track daily
• Graph-Based Structure: A graph view of every link between your notes
• Customizable Types: Custom object Types with your own layouts
• Sets & Bi-Directional Linking: Dynamic Sets plus two-way links to other objects
• End-to-End Encryption: Encryption that keeps your data on your device

Objects interact through relations, allowing users to build a web of thought instead of a folder tree.

It’s a genuinely powerful tool for anyone curious about decentralized note taking.

For the full breakdown, see our Anytype review.

That single view sums up why people move off cloud tools.

Anytype Pricing

Here’s what Anytype costs in 2026:

Free trial: The free plan is permanent, so no trial clock applies.

Money-back guarantee: Paid tiers are month to month and cancel any time.

💰 Best Value: Plus — $4/month covers sync and storage for almost every solo user.

Anytype vs Alternatives

How does Anytype compare against the tools people usually weigh it against?

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Notion — deepest feature set if privacy isn’t your first concern
• Best budget: Anytype — the free plan does real work with no page cap
• Best for beginners: Craft — the editing experience needs no explanation
• Best for privacy: Anytype — encrypted, offline and open-source by design

🎯 Anytype Alternatives

Looking for Anytype alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 🚀 Notion: The default all-in-one workspace, with far more integrations and templates but cloud-hosted data.
• 🧠 Capacities: Also object-based, with a strong daily note and a gentler learning curve.
• 🎨 Craft: The best writing feel of the group, ideal if documents matter more than databases.
• 📊 ClickUp: Task-first platform with dashboards, docs and time tracking for busy teams.
• 🔧 Coda: Docs with buttons, formulas and automations that behave like small apps.
• ⚡ XTiles: Flexible tile-based pages that feel closer to a visual board than a page.
• 🌟 AFFiNE Pro: Open-source rival mixing docs, whiteboard and database in one canvas.
• 🔒 Obsidian AI: Local markdown files with a huge plugin library and full offline control.
• 💼 Asana: Mature project tracking for teams that need reporting more than notes.
• 🏢 Airtable: Serious relational database with automations, views and enterprise governance.
• ⭐ Monday: Colourful work platform built for pipelines, approvals and team visibility.
• 🎯 Launchnotes: Specialised release-notes tool for product teams publishing changelogs.

For the full list, see our Anytype alternatives guide.

⚔️ Anytype Compared

Here’s how Anytype stacks up against each competitor:

• Anytype vs Notion: Notion wins on collaboration and templates. Anytype wins on privacy, offline access and cost.
• Anytype vs Capacities: Capacities is easier on day one. Anytype offers stronger security and true local storage.
• Anytype vs Craft: Craft is the nicer writing tool. Anytype handles structured data far better.
• Anytype vs ClickUp: ClickUp manages teams and deadlines. Anytype manages knowledge and personal projects.
• Anytype vs Coda: Coda automates workflows. Anytype connects notes without any server dependency.
• Anytype vs XTiles: XTiles feels more visual. Anytype scales better once your vault grows.
• Anytype vs AFFiNE Pro: Both are open-source. AFFiNE adds whiteboards; Anytype has the stronger graph.
• Anytype vs Obsidian AI: Obsidian keeps plain markdown files. Anytype gives you relations and Sets out of the box.
• Anytype vs Asana: Asana runs team projects. Anytype is the better personal knowledge base.
• Anytype vs Airtable: Airtable is the deeper database. Anytype is cheaper and private by default.
• Anytype vs Monday: Monday suits operations teams. Anytype suits individuals who own their data.
• Anytype vs Launchnotes: Launchnotes does one job well. Anytype covers notes, tasks and projects together.

Start Using Anytype Now

You now know how to use Anytype across every major feature:

• ✅ Personal and Work PKM
• ✅ Team Space
• ✅ Data Vault
• ✅ CRM (Basic Approach)
• ✅ Habit Tracker
• ✅ Graph-Based Structure
• ✅ Customizable Types
• ✅ Sets & Bi-Directional Linking
• ✅ End-to-End Encryption

Next step: Create one Space and add three objects.

Most people start with Personal and Work PKM.

It takes less than five minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Anytype used for?

Anytype is used for note taking, task lists, projects and personal knowledge management. It stores everything as linked objects on your own device.

Is Anytype better than Notion?

For privacy and offline work, yes. Notion still wins on integrations and team collaboration, so the better tool depends on what you need most.

Is the Anytype app free?

Yes. The free plan gives you the full app, unlimited local objects and graph view. Paid tiers add more sync storage and sharing.

Is Anytype safe to use?

Yes. End-to-end encryption plus local first storage means your data never sits readable on someone else’s server.

Will Anytype always be free?

The company has committed to keeping a free tier. Paid plans fund sync and storage, not access to your own local data.