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siyuan-note

siyuan-note/siyuan

Self-hosted, privacy-first knowledge workspace with block-level references, Markdown WYSIWYG editing, and AI agent collaboration.

Open-source alternative to:NotionRoam ResearchObsidian

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What is it?

SiYuan is a personal knowledge management system built around fine-grained block-level references and two-way links. Its editor combines block-style editing with Markdown WYSIWYG, so notes can be linked and queried at the paragraph level rather than only per document.

The project covers note-taking, web clipping, PDF annotation links, a table view database, and flashcard spaced repetition. Content can be exported to standard Markdown with assets, PDF, Word, and HTML, and it can be queried with embedded SQL. Data is stored in a local workspace folder as JSON-based .sy files, and the app is available on desktop, Android, iOS, HarmonyOS, and as a Docker-hosted web service.

The project also includes an AI writing and Q&A chat through the OpenAI API, a command-line interface that works directly on workspace data, and an API for integration. Some sync and cloud features are limited to paid members, while most features are free.

Key features

  • 01Block-level references and two-way links between notes
  • 02Markdown WYSIWYG editing with block-style layout
  • 03Embedded SQL queries and table view databases
  • 04Flashcard spaced repetition
  • 05Export to Markdown, PDF, Word, and HTML
  • 06Self-hosted deployment via Docker, with a command-line interface

Use cases

  • Building a personal knowledge base with linked notes
  • Keeping research notes with PDF annotation links and web clips
  • Studying with built-in flashcard review
  • Running a private, self-hosted notes server for a team or family

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install from the App Market or the installation package (desktop and mobile)

  2. 2

    Or run the Docker container with a workspace folder and lock screen password

    docker run -d -v workspace_dir_host:workspace_dir_container -p 6806:6806 -e PUID=1001 -e PGID=1002 b3log/siyuan serve --workspace=workspace_dir_container --accessAuthCode=xxx

Things to know

  • Licensed under AGPL-3.0, a copyleft license that requires sharing source code of modifications when distributed or served over a network.
  • Some features are only available to paid members.
  • AI writing and Q/A chat require an OpenAI API key.
  • Self-hosting with Docker requires setting a strong access code yourself, or your data is exposed.

Topics

#note-taking#knowledge-base#markdown#self-hosted#local-first#ai-agent#agentic-ai#mcp#siyuan#workspace

FAQ

What is siyuan?
Self-hosted, privacy-first knowledge workspace with block-level references, Markdown WYSIWYG editing, and AI agent collaboration. SiYuan is a personal knowledge management system built around fine-grained block-level references and two-way links. Its editor combines block-style editing with Markdown WYSIWYG, so notes can be linked and queried at the paragraph level rather than only per document.
Is siyuan free to use? What license does it have?
siyuan is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is siyuan still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to siyuan was on Oct 19, 2026.
What can I use siyuan for?
Building a personal knowledge base with linked notes Keeping research notes with PDF annotation links and web clips Studying with built-in flashcard review Running a private, self-hosted notes server for a team or family
How do I install siyuan?
Install from the App Market or the installation package (desktop and mobile) Or run the Docker container with a workspace folder and lock screen password: docker run -d -v workspace_dir_host:workspace_dir_container -p 6806:6806 -e PUID=1001 -e PGID=1002 b3log/siyuan serve --workspace=workspace_dir_container --accessAuthCode=xxx
Where can I get siyuan?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/siyuan-note/siyuan

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