siyuan-note/siyuan

What it solves

SiYuan is a privacy-first personal knowledge management system designed to help users organize thoughts and insights. It addresses the need for a structured, block-based note-taking environment that supports complex linking and large-scale document editing without sacrificing privacy.

How it works

The system utilizes a block-style editor with Markdown WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) capabilities. It treats every piece of content as a "block," allowing for fine-grained block-level references and two-way links. It can be deployed as a desktop/mobile app or hosted on a server via Docker or Kubernetes, providing a flexible infrastructure for personal data storage.

Who it’s for

It is built for individuals who need a robust personal knowledge base, researchers, and students who utilize spaced repetition (flashcards) and complex document structures, as well as users who prefer self-hosted, privacy-centric software.

Highlights

• Block-level Architecture: Supports fine-grained references, two-way links, and custom attributes for every content block.
• Advanced Editor: Features a Markdown WYSIWYG editor capable of handling million-word documents, including support for mathematical formulas, charts, and flowcharts.
• AI Integration: Provides AI writing and Q&A chat capabilities via the OpenAI API.
• Diverse Export Options: Allows exporting data to standard Markdown, PDF, Word, and HTML.
• Knowledge Tools: Includes built-in Tesseract OCR and flashcard spaced repetition for learning.