SiYuan is a privacy-first, self-hosted personal knowledge management system designed for users who need fine-grained control over their data and a flexible writing experience. It offers block-level referencing, Markdown WYSIWYG editing, and a range of advanced features for organizing and retrieving information, catering to researchers, writers, and power users.

How It Works

SiYuan utilizes a block-based architecture, allowing for granular referencing and linking between pieces of information. It supports a rich set of content types, including Markdown, mathematical formulas, charts, and even database-like tables. The editor provides a WYSIWYG experience, simplifying content creation and manipulation. Data is stored locally in a structured format, with JSON files representing documents and assets managed separately, ensuring data integrity and portability.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Installation: Recommended via desktop/mobile app stores, or download installation packages from GitHub Releases. Docker deployment is also available.
• Docker: docker run -d -v workspace_dir_host:workspace_dir_container -p 6806:6806 -e PUID=1001 -e PGID=1002 b3log/siyuan --workspace=workspace_dir_container --accessAuthCode=xxx
• Prerequisites: Docker (for Docker deployment), specific PUID/PGID for host directory permissions.
• Resources: Requires disk space for the workspace data.
• Links: Download, Docker Hub, English Discussion Forum

Highlighted Details

• Block-level referencing and two-way links.
• WYSIWYG Markdown editor with support for formulas, charts, and more.
• Data synchronization via third-party cloud storage (paid feature).
• AI writing and Q/A chat via OpenAI API.

Maintenance & Community

SiYuan is actively developed with a public roadmap and changelog. Community support is available through an English Discussion Forum. Contributions are welcomed across various components, including the UI, kernel, and mobile apps.

Licensing & Compatibility

SiYuan is open source, with most features available for free, including commercial use. Specific advanced features or cloud synchronization may require a paid membership. The project's core components are licensed under permissive terms, but users should review the specific licenses for each sub-project.

Limitations & Caveats

The Docker deployment does not support direct connections from desktop or mobile applications, only browser access. Export to PDF, HTML, and Word formats is not supported in the Docker version. Importing Markdown files is also not supported in this deployment method.