siyuan-note/siyuan

⭐ 43,781  ·  TypeScript  ·  GitHub Repo

A privacy-first, self-hosted, fully open source personal knowledge management software, written in typescript and golang.

anki chatgpt deepseek electron evernote knowledge-base local-first markdown

1-Sentence Summary

SiYuan is a privacy-first, self-hosted knowledge management system offering block-level references and local-first control.

🔥 Key Capabilities & USP

• Block-Level Reference & Two-Way Links: Unlike tools that only link entire pages, SiYuan lets you reference and backlink individual blocks of content (paragraphs, images, tables). This solves the pain point of shallow connections, enabling deep, granular knowledge graphs for researchers and writers.
• Markdown WYSIWYG Editor: Combines the simplicity of Markdown with a rich, live-preview editing experience. It handles complex elements like mathematical formulas, diagrams, and million-word documents, solving the pain point of switching between editing and preview modes.
• Local-First & Self-Hosted: Data is stored locally by default, with options for Docker, WebDAV, or S3 sync. This is the core USP—it solves the critical pain point of data ownership and vendor lock-in, giving you complete control over your knowledge base.
• AI Integration & OCR: Supports AI writing and Q&A via OpenAI API (ChatGPT, DeepSeek) and Tesseract OCR for extracting text from images. This solves the pain point of manual data entry and enhances searchability across all content types.
• Cross-Platform & Extensible: Available on desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux), mobile (Android, iOS, HarmonyOS), and via Docker. A community marketplace for plugins and themes solves the pain point of a rigid, one-size-fits-all tool.

Technical Architecture

Component	Technology	Role
Frontend	TypeScript, Electron	Desktop and mobile app UI
Editor Engine	Go (Lute)	Markdown parsing and WYSIWYG rendering
Data Repository	Go (dejavu)	Local and remote data storage & sync
Spaced Repetition	Go (riff)	Anki-like flashcard engine
Plugin API	Go (petal)	Plugin and theme marketplace support
Sync/Storage	Local FS, S3, WebDAV	Flexible, user-controlled data hosting

The architecture is a dual-stack design: a TypeScript/Electron frontend for the user interface, and a Go-based backend for core engine operations (editing, storage, sync). This separation allows for high performance in data processing while maintaining a rich, cross-platform UI.

Quick Start Guide

The easiest way to get started is to run SiYuan via Docker, which provides a fully self-hosted instance.

# Pull the latest SiYuan image
docker pull b3log/siyuan

# Run SiYuan, mounting a local directory for persistent data storage
docker run -d \
  --name siyuan \
  -v /path/to/your/data:/siyuan/workspace \
  -p 6806:6806 \
  b3log/siyuan

After running, open your browser to http://localhost:6806 to access the web interface. For desktop or mobile apps, download the installer from the official releases page.

Pros, Cons & Use Cases

Pros

• Fully Open Source (AGPLv3): Complete transparency and community-driven development.
• Privacy-First by Default: Local storage with no mandatory cloud dependency.
• Rich Feature Set: Block refs, AI, OCR, spaced repetition, and diagram support in a single tool.
• Active Community: 43k+ stars and frequent updates indicate a healthy, responsive project.

Cons

• Paid Features: Advanced cloud sync and AI features require a paid subscription.
• Technical Setup: Self-hosting via Docker or WebDAV requires some technical knowledge.
• Learning Curve: The block-level paradigm is powerful but differs from traditional page-based note-taking.

Who should NOT use this?

• Users seeking a fully free, zero-setup cloud solution: If you want everything for free with no server management, SiYuan’s paid sync and self-hosting requirements will be a barrier.
• Teams needing real-time collaborative editing: SiYuan is designed for individual knowledge management, not real-time multi-user collaboration like Google Docs or Notion.
• Users who prefer a simple, flat file structure: If you are happy with plain Markdown files in a folder and don't need block-level references or a WYSIWYG editor, tools like Obsidian may be a better fit.

Ideal Use Cases

• Privacy-conscious researchers and writers who need to build a deep, interconnected knowledge base with block-level precision.
• Developers and technical users who want a self-hosted, open-source alternative to Notion or Evernote with full data ownership.
• Students and lifelong learners who want to integrate spaced repetition (Anki-style flashcards) directly into their note-taking workflow.
• Power users who need a single tool for Markdown editing, AI assistance, OCR, and cross-platform access.

Community & Activity

SiYuan is on a strong trajectory with 43,781 stars and a highly active development cycle. The project was last updated on May 10, 2026, demonstrating a consistent and rapid release cadence. The community is vibrant, with a marketplace for plugins and themes, and the project’s focus on privacy and self-hosting has resonated strongly with users seeking alternatives to proprietary tools. The momentum is excellent, making it a reliable and future-proof choice for personal knowledge management.