CherryTree vs SiYuan
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
SiYuan
Privacy-first personal knowledge management system
| Feature | CherryTree | SiYuan |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,951 | ★ 46,488 |
| First released | 2009 | 2020 |
| Replaces | OneNote, Evernote | Notion, Evernote |
What are CherryTree and SiYuan?
CherryTree
Cherrytree is an open-source hierarchical note-taking application featuring rich text and syntax highlighting. It stores everything in a single XML or SQLite file, making it easy to back up and move.
- Hierarchical note tree
- Rich text and code highlighting
- Single-file XML or SQLite storage
- Password protection
SiYuan
SiYuan is an open-source, privacy-first personal knowledge management system that supports block-level references and bidirectional links. It can run locally or be self-hosted for access across devices.
- Block-level referencing
- Bidirectional links
- Self-hosted or local mode
- End-to-end encrypted sync
CherryTree vs SiYuan: key differences
CherryTree is written in C++, while SiYuan is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for CherryTree versus AGPL-3.0 for SiYuan. CherryTree is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for SiYuan. CherryTree is the more established project (first released 2009), while SiYuan arrived in 2020. SiYuan has the considerably larger community, at 46,488 GitHub stars versus 3,951. SiYuan lists first-class Docker deployment; CherryTree does not.
Why pick each one
Choose CherryTree if…
- Highly portable single-file notes
- Good for structured notes
Watch out for
- Desktop only
- No built-in sync
Choose SiYuan if…
- Powerful block-based model
- Works offline and self-hosted
Watch out for
- Documentation strongest in Chinese
- Some advanced features are paid
Frequently asked questions
Is CherryTree or SiYuan better?
Neither is universally better. SiYuan has the larger community, while CherryTree is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are CherryTree and SiYuan free and open-source?
Yes. CherryTree is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SiYuan under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CherryTree and SiYuan with Docker?
CherryTree: check the project docs for container support. SiYuan: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, CherryTree or SiYuan?
CherryTree has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for SiYuan. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.