SHSelfHostIndex

SiYuan vs Wiki.js

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
SiYuan Privacy-first personal knowledge management system VS Wiki.js Modern and powerful open-source wiki
FeatureSiYuanWiki.js
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score100 · Excellent98 · Excellent
CategoryNotes & Knowledge BaseNotes & Knowledge Base
LicenseAGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageTypeScriptVue
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, sourcedocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 46,488★ 28,956
First released20202017
ReplacesNotion, EvernoteConfluence, Notion

What are SiYuan and Wiki.js?

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

Read the full SiYuan guide →

Wiki.js

Wiki.js is a modern, feature-rich wiki engine with multiple editors, authentication options, and storage backends. It targets teams and communities building a structured knowledge base. It is deployed via Docker or Node.js.

  • Markdown, WYSIWYG and code editors
  • Many authentication providers
  • Git and storage sync
  • Powerful permissions

Read the full Wiki.js guide →

SiYuan vs Wiki.js: key differences

SiYuan is written in TypeScript, while Wiki.js is built with Vue. Wiki.js is the more established project (first released 2017), while SiYuan arrived in 2020.

Why pick each one

Choose SiYuan if…

  • Powerful block-based model
  • Works offline and self-hosted

Watch out for

  • Documentation strongest in Chinese
  • Some advanced features are paid
SiYuan details

Choose Wiki.js if…

  • Flexible and full-featured
  • Many auth options
  • Good content management

Watch out for

  • Configuration can be involved
  • Version 3 rewrite in progress
Wiki.js details

Frequently asked questions

Is SiYuan or Wiki.js better?

Neither is universally better. SiYuan has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are SiYuan and Wiki.js free and open-source?

Yes. SiYuan is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Wiki.js under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run SiYuan and Wiki.js with Docker?

SiYuan: yes. Wiki.js: yes.

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