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SiYuan alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave SiYuan: official cloud sync needs a paid membership, and english docs and community are thinner. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces SiYuan, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Obsidian currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Obsidian logoObsidianFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux +22 of 374.7
2Anytype logoAnytypeFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux +22 of 373.3
3Logseq logoLogseqOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux +21 of 372.8
4AppFlowy logoAppFlowyOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +44 of 466.7
5Notion logoNotionFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +21 of 358.4
6Trilium Notes logoTrilium NotesOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux +24 of 455.3
  1. Obsidian logo

    1. ObsidianTop pick

    Best for: People who want to own their notes as local Markdown files

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    74.7

    score / 100

    Why switch from SiYuan

    Local Markdown files with a much larger English-speaking plugin community.

    Pros

    • Notes are plain Markdown files you own
    • Works fully offline
    • Huge plugin ecosystem

    Cons

    • Official sync is a paid add-on
    • Real-time collaboration is limited
    Visit Obsidian Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.1563
    Freshness ×0.1577
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Obsidian a good SiYuan alternative?

    Verified facts

    2 of 3 verified
    Price
    Free, no sign-up required
    Checked Oct 24, 2026obsidian.md(opens source in a new tab)
    Storage
    Local Markdown files
    Checked Oct 24, 2026obsidian.md(opens source in a new tab)
    Sync
    Paid add-on
    Not checked yetobsidian.md(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Anytype logo

    2. Anytype

    Best for: A private, offline-capable alternative to Notion

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    73.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from SiYuan

    Local-first objects and databases with peer-to-peer encrypted sync.

    Pros

    • Local-first with end-to-end encryption
    • Notion-like objects and views
    • Works offline

    Cons

    • Source-available, not OSI open source
    • Smaller template and integration ecosystem
    Visit Anytype Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.1577
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Anytype a good SiYuan alternative?

    Verified facts

    2 of 3 verified
    Encryption
    End-to-end
    Checked Oct 24, 2026anytype.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Local-first
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026anytype.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Yes
    Not checked yetanytype.io(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Logseq logo

    3. Logseq

    Best for: Outliner thinkers who want local, open-source notes with backlinks

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    72.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from SiYuan

    Open-source outliner with block references and local files.

    Pros

    • Free and open source
    • Local Markdown or Org files
    • Strong backlinks and block references

    Cons

    • Outliner-only structure isn't for everyone
    • Mobile apps feel less polished
    Visit Logseq Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.1553
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Logseq a good SiYuan alternative?

    Verified facts

    1 of 3 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Storage
    Local Markdown/Org files
    Not checked yetlogseq.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Price
    Free
    Not checked yetlogseq.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. AppFlowy logo

    4. AppFlowy

    Best for: Teams and individuals who want Notion-style docs and databases on their own servers

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    66.7

    score / 100

    Why switch from SiYuan

    Open-source Notion-style databases with stronger team features.

    Pros

    • Open source and self-hostable, even air-gapped
    • Databases with grid, board and calendar views
    • Can use self-hosted AI models
    • Free personal plan

    Cons

    • Fewer integrations and templates than Notion
    • AGPL licence can be a hurdle for some companies
    • Sync and collaboration still less polished
    Visit AppFlowy Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.1563
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is AppFlowy a good SiYuan alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro price
    $12 per member/month, billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appflowy.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, web
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appflowy.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes, including air-gapped
    Checked Oct 25, 2026appflowy.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Notion logo

    5. Notion

    Best for: Teams that want docs, wikis and simple databases in one place

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    58.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from SiYuan

    Hosted blocks and databases with easy team sharing.

    Pros

    • Flexible blocks and databases
    • Large template gallery
    • Strong sharing and permissions

    Cons

    • Needs an internet connection for most work
    • Large workspaces can feel slow
    Visit Notion Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.357
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.1563
    Freshness ×0.1553
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Notion a good SiYuan alternative?

    Verified facts

    1 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026notion.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
    Not checked yetnotion.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source
    No
    Not checked yetnotion.com(opens source in a new tab)
  6. Trilium Notes logo

    6. Trilium Notes

    Best for: Tinkerers who want a large, scriptable knowledge base on their own server

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWindows, macOS, Linux, Web, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from SiYuan

    Free, self-hosted knowledge base with no paid sync tier at all.

    Pros

    • Free and open source with no paid tiers
    • Handles very large hierarchical note trees
    • Scripting, templates and relations
    • Works offline with no account

    Cons

    • No official mobile app
    • You host your own sync server
    • Interface feels dated
    Visit Trilium Notes Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Trilium Notes a good SiYuan alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    AGPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Price
    Free, no paid tiers
    Checked Oct 25, 2026triliumnotes.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026triliumnotes.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Official mobile app
    No
    Checked Oct 25, 2026triliumnotes.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best SiYuan alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Obsidian logo

Best SiYuan alternative for most people

Obsidian

Local Markdown files with a much larger English-speaking plugin community.

Logseq logo

Best SiYuan alternative for a free option

Logseq

Open-source outliner with block references and local files.

Anytype logo

Best SiYuan alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Anytype

Local-first objects and databases with peer-to-peer encrypted sync.

AppFlowy logo

Best SiYuan alternative for open source

AppFlowy

Open-source Notion-style databases with stronger team features.

Trilium Notes logo

Best SiYuan alternative for self-hosting

Trilium Notes

Free, self-hosted knowledge base with no paid sync tier at all.

Notion logo

Best SiYuan alternative for Mac

Notion

Hosted blocks and databases with easy team sharing.

Obsidian logo

Best SiYuan alternative for Windows

Obsidian

Local Markdown files with a much larger English-speaking plugin community.

Obsidian logo

Best SiYuan alternative for Linux

Obsidian

Local Markdown files with a much larger English-speaking plugin community.

Obsidian logo

Best SiYuan alternative for iPhone and Android

Obsidian

Local Markdown files with a much larger English-speaking plugin community.

AppFlowy logo

Best SiYuan alternative for working in the browser

AppFlowy

Open-source Notion-style databases with stronger team features.

SiYuan alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to SiYuan?

Obsidian ranks first right now. Local Markdown files with a much larger English-speaking plugin community. Anytype and Logseq follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to SiYuan?

Yes. Obsidian (free plan + paid), Anytype (free plan + paid), Logseq (open source) and AppFlowy (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to SiYuan?

Yes: Logseq, AppFlowy and Trilium Notes. AppFlowy and Trilium Notes can also be self-hosted.

Which SiYuan alternatives work on Linux?

Obsidian, Anytype, Logseq, AppFlowy and Trilium Notes run on Linux.

Why do people switch from SiYuan?

The complaints we hear most: official cloud sync needs a paid membership; english docs and community are thinner; busy interface with many settings.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces SiYuan, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.