SiYuan

What is SiYuan?

SiYuan is an open source, privacy-first personal knowledge management app that stores every note as a block on your own device. You write in a Markdown WYSIWYG editor, link blocks bidirectionally, and query your notes with embedded SQL — a local-first alternative to Notion, Obsidian, and Evernote where the data lives with you, not in someone else’s cloud.

What is SiYuan best for?

SiYuan fits people building a long-lived personal knowledge base — researchers, developers, and note-takers who want Notion-style databases and Obsidian-style backlinks without a subscription cloud holding their data. It’s especially strong for anyone who values local-first storage, block-level referencing, and self-hosting over polished team collaboration.

What can SiYuan do?

• Edit in Markdown WYSIWYG with 20+ block types, math formulas, diagrams, and flowcharts
• Reference and embed content at the block level, with backlink panels and a relationship graph
• Build databases with tables, relations, rollups, and templates
• Query your notes with embedded SQL and dynamic block embeds
• Study with FSRS spaced-repetition flashcards built into your notes
• Export to Markdown, PDF, Word, and HTML
• Run on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, HarmonyOS, the browser, or a self-hosted Docker server
• Optional end-to-end encrypted sync and OpenAI-powered writing assistance

Where does SiYuan fall short?

• No third-party sync disks. SiYuan blocks Dropbox, iCloud, or Google Drive sync because its block database can corrupt through them — so cross-device sync means either its paid cloud membership or its bring-your-own S3/WebDAV tier, not a folder you already have.
• The Docker server is a reduced build. The self-hosted Docker deployment can’t connect the desktop or mobile apps and drops PDF/Word export and Markdown import, so full features still need a native install per device.
• Weaker at real-time team collaboration. It’s built as a single-user, local-first tool; there’s no live multiplayer editing like Notion, so it’s a poor fit for a team wiki that several people edit at once.

Is SiYuan free?

Yes — SiYuan is free to download and self-host, and most features are free even for commercial use. You only pay if you want its official end-to-end encrypted cloud sync, sold as a paid membership (an annual subscription or a one-time lifetime fee with 8GB of storage), or the lower-cost PRO tier that lets you sync through your own S3 or WebDAV storage. The app itself is never paywalled.

What does SiYuan replace?

SiYuan is a self-hosted alternative to Notion, Evernote, and Obsidian Sync. It covers the same block-based docs, searchable note archive, and linked-notes workflows, but keeps your content in a local database you control instead of a hosted subscription. If you prefer a different local-first take, Trilium Notes and AFFiNE solve overlapping problems.

FAQ

Is SiYuan open source? Yes. SiYuan is fully open source under the AGPL-3.0 license, with its kernel, UI, mobile apps, and browser extensions all public on GitHub.

Can I self-host SiYuan for free? Yes. Self-hosting is free — install the desktop app or run the Docker server on your own machine. Only the optional official cloud sync is paid; you can also sync through your own S3/WebDAV storage instead.

Is SiYuan a good Notion alternative? For a private, local-first knowledge base, yes — you get databases and block references without a subscription cloud. If you need real-time team collaboration or a hosted service with zero setup, Notion is still easier.

What do I need to run SiYuan? Just the app on Windows, macOS, Linux, or mobile. For a self-hosted server, Docker on a machine that exposes port 6806 — though that build can’t connect the native apps and drops some export features.