SiYuan vs Zettlr
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
VS
Zettlr
Markdown editor for writers, researchers, and Zettelkasten users
| Feature | SiYuan | Zettlr |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 46,488 | ★ 13,577 |
| First released | 2020 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Notion, Evernote | Notion, Obsidian |
What are SiYuan and Zettlr?
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
Zettlr
Zettlr is a desktop Markdown editor designed for academic writing and Zettelkasten note management, with citation support and internal linking. While desktop-first, it works on plain Markdown folders that can sync between machines.
- Zettelkasten linking
- Citation manager support
- Multi-format export
- Folder-based projects
SiYuan vs Zettlr: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for SiYuan versus GPL-3.0 for Zettlr. Zettlr is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for SiYuan. Zettlr is the more established project (first released 2017), while SiYuan arrived in 2020. SiYuan has the considerably larger community, at 46,488 GitHub stars versus 13,577. SiYuan lists first-class Docker deployment; Zettlr does not.
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
Choose Zettlr if…
- Strong academic features
- Plain Markdown files
Watch out for
- Desktop only
- No native sync server
Frequently asked questions
Is SiYuan or Zettlr better?
Neither is universally better. SiYuan has the larger community, while Zettlr is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are SiYuan and Zettlr free and open-source?
Yes. SiYuan is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zettlr under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SiYuan and Zettlr with Docker?
SiYuan: yes. Zettlr: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, SiYuan or Zettlr?
Zettlr has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for SiYuan. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.