SiYuan Review

SiYuan describes itself as a privacy-first personal knowledge management system supporting fine-grained block-level reference and Markdown WYSIWYG. The README feature list covers content blocks (block-level references and two-way links, custom attributes, SQL query embeds, a siyuan:// protocol), a block-style Markdown WYSIWYG editor with list outline, block zoom-in, million-word document editing, math, charts, flowcharts, Gantt charts, web clipping, and PDF annotation links, export to Markdown with assets, PDF, Word, and HTML, a database with a table view, flashcard spaced repetition, AI writing and Q&A via the OpenAI API, Tesseract OCR, multi-tab and split-screen, templates, JavaScript and CSS snippets, Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS apps, Docker deployment, and a community marketplace. The README notes that most features are free, even for commercial use, and some are only for paid members. Pricing: Free; PRO at $64 one time (listed as $96) adds third-party S3 and WebDAV sync and backup; Subscription at $148 one time (listed as $296) adds cloud assets hosting, Cloud Inbox, 8 GB official cloud storage, and official sync and backup. The page also says subscription seats are limited and refunds are not offered.

The README recommends installing from the application market on desktop and mobile, with Docker as the self-hosting route. The README text we read did not walk through Docker settings, so consult the project documentation before exposing a server. We did not install it.

A block-based editor where every paragraph, list item, or heading is an addressable block that you can reference, embed, and query. It has a learning curve compared with simple Markdown notes, in exchange for relational power. The user guide and an English discussion forum are linked from the README.

• Block-level references and two-way links
• Markdown WYSIWYG with block zoom
• SQL query embeds and a database table view
• Flashcards, OCR, and AI chat through the OpenAI API
• Export to Markdown, PDF, Word, and HTML
• Apps for desktop, Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS plus Docker
• Marketplace for plugins and themes

• Powerful block model that rivals commercial outliners
• Mostly free, with permission for commercial use
• Local-first with optional sync through your own S3 or WebDAV
• Active project: about 46,800 stars and daily commits

• Sync via S3 or WebDAV requires the paid PRO purchase
• Official sync seats are limited and refunds are not offered
• Documentation and community lean toward Chinese-language sources, though an English forum exists
• AGPL-3.0 applies to modifications

Free tier covers basic functions and local storage. PRO is $64 one time (third-party S3 and WebDAV sync and backup; you supply the storage). Subscription is $148 one time (everything in PRO plus cloud assets hosting, Cloud Inbox, 8 GB official storage, and official sync). Subscription seats are limited and not refundable.

Notion is a hosted workspace with databases, real-time collaboration, and a large template ecosystem. SiYuan stores your data locally, offers block references and SQL embeds, and charges one-time fees for sync, but it is not built for multi-user team collaboration.

• Individuals building a personal knowledge base
• Users who want block-level linking and local data
• People who want a one-time purchase instead of a subscription

• Teams that need real-time collaboration
• Users who want only plain Markdown files
• Anyone needing broad English-language support resources