Anytype vs Lex

Anytype is a local-first, end-to-end encrypted workspace for notes, documents and personal databases, built by Any, a small company based in Berlin. Instead of pages and blocks alone, everything in Anytype is an object with a type and relations, so a book, a meeting, a person or a task can carry its own fields and be linked to anything else. Data lives on your devices first and syncs peer to peer or through Any's backup nodes using its open any-sync protocol, and the source code is public on GitHub.

The app runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. Sets and collections turn objects into database views (grid, kanban, gallery, list, calendar), templates speed up repeated notes, and shared spaces let small groups collaborate on the same encrypted data. The free tier covers local use and sync with a storage limit; paid membership tiers add more backup storage, more shared spaces and editors, and a unique network name.

Anytype fits privacy-conscious individuals and small teams who want a Notion-like model without handing their data to a cloud provider. The object model takes time to learn, real-time collaboration is less mature than Notion's, and there are far fewer integrations and templates. Obsidian is the closest choice for plain Markdown files and plugins, Notion wins on collaboration and ecosystem, and Capacities offers a similar object-based approach as a cloud service.

Lex is a minimalist word processor with AI built into the writing experience. It was created by Nathan Baschez at Every, the media and software company, and later spun out as an independent company. Instead of a chatbot in a sidebar, Lex puts AI inside a calm, distraction-free editor where writers ask for feedback, rewrites, research or continuation directly on their draft.

Writers can highlight a passage and request alternatives, ask the AI to check an argument or suggest titles, and save custom prompts for repeated tasks. Drafts can be shared for comments, and version history tracks changes over time. Lex works with large language models from several providers, and users can choose which model handles their requests. Lex is no longer accepting new customers, and its pricing page shows plan details only to existing users.

Lex suits essayists, newsletter writers, founders writing memos and anyone who wants an editor that helps them think rather than write for them. Formatting options are limited, integrations are few and it is not built for long structured documents or team workflows. Google Docs with Gemini and Notion AI are better for collaborative documents, while iA Writer is a focused editor for writers who do not want AI in the loop.