Google Wave DNA Meets Structured Data
Tana's founding story is unusual. The company was co-founded in 2021 by Olav Sindre Kriken, Tarjei Munthe Vassbotn (ex-Google), and Grim Iversen — who worked on Google Wave, the ambitious real-time collaboration tool that was ahead of its time. That background shows in Tana's core innovation: the supertag, a structured type that you attach to any node, instantly adding fields, views, and queryable properties.
Backed by $25-28.5M in total funding (including a $14M Series A led by Tola Capital, with Lightspeed and Northzone), Tana attracted 160,000+ waitlist signups — with over 80% of Fortune 500 companies represented — and has built a 24,000+ member Slack community. The node-based architecture means everything connects: live searches surface nodes matching any criteria, and views show the same data as lists, tables, or kanban boards.
Tana's built-in AI commands let you generate, summarize, and transform content directly within nodes, adding automation to the structured data model.
Tana's founders brought Google Wave's structured collaboration DNA to personal knowledge management — backed by $25M+ in funding and 160,000+ waitlist signups.
AI: Structured Commands vs Autonomous Research
Tana's AI operates through commands embedded in its supertag framework. You can ask AI to summarize a meeting, generate content from a template, or transform text — all within the node context. The free plan includes 500 AI credits, with Plus (~$8/month) and Pro (~$14/month) offering more. Students and NGOs get 50% off. These inline automations are tightly integrated with the structure system.
Moryflow's agents take a different approach: they operate autonomously across your entire knowledge base. Instead of waiting for commands, agents plan multi-step research, synthesize information from multiple sources, and maintain persistent memory that spans sessions. You connect your own API keys and choose which model to use per task — no credits to run out, no markup on API costs.
Tana's AI enhances the structured data model it already excels at. Moryflow's AI drives the entire research-to-output workflow independently.
Architecture: Local-First vs Cloud-Only
Moryflow stores notes locally by default. The app works offline, data stays on your device, and cloud sync is optional. The codebase is open source under the MIT license — you can self-host, fork, or audit.
Tana is cloud-only. Your workspace lives on Tana's servers, and the app requires internet access. Export options exist but the node-based structure with supertags does not translate cleanly to standard formats. Tana is closed source.
For users who prioritize data sovereignty, offline access, or open-source values, the architectural difference is significant.
Publishing and Sharing
Moryflow includes a built-in publishing pipeline. Any note or collection becomes a live website with SEO metadata, custom domains, and digital garden aesthetics. Notes serve dual duty as personal knowledge and public content.
Tana has no publishing feature. Nodes and workspaces are private, with sharing limited to workspace collaboration. To publish Tana content publicly, you would need to export and use a separate platform.
For anyone who wants research or writing to reach an audience, Moryflow's publishing eliminates the extra step.
Learning Curve: Power vs Accessibility
Tana's power comes at a cost: the learning curve is steep. Supertags, fields, live searches, views, and the node-based paradigm require significant investment before the system clicks. Tana's 24,000+ Slack community and extensive documentation help, but many users bounce off the complexity. Those who push through find one of the most flexible knowledge tools available — the 30,000+ beta testers who stayed through the invite-only phase are testament to that.
Moryflow takes a more conventional approach. Documents, links, tags, and AI agents are familiar concepts. You can be productive immediately and discover deeper capabilities over time. The complexity lives in the AI agents, not in the organizational framework.
If you enjoy building intricate systems and want maximum structural control, Tana rewards that investment — and its $25M+ in backing suggests the vision has staying power. If you want to start writing and researching immediately with AI handling the structure, Moryflow is more accessible from day one.