siyuan-note/siyuan

What it solves

SiYuan is a privacy-first personal knowledge management system designed to help users move from "thought to insight." It addresses the need for a structured, local-first way to organize information using fine-grained block-level references and a seamless Markdown editing experience.

How it works

It operates as a block-style editor that supports Markdown WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). The system treats content as individual blocks, allowing for two-way links and precise references between blocks across different documents. It can be deployed as a desktop application, a mobile app, or hosted via Docker on a server for browser-based access.

Who it’s for

It is intended for individuals who need a powerful personal knowledge base, researchers, and students who utilize spaced repetition (flashcards) and complex document structures (like Gantt charts or mathematical formulas).

Highlights

• Block-level Architecture: Supports fine-grained block references, two-way links, and custom attributes.
• Rich Editor: Features a Markdown WYSIWYG editor capable of handling million-word documents, with support for charts, flowcharts, and PDF annotations.
• AI Integration: Provides AI writing and Q&A chat capabilities via the OpenAI API.
• Flexible Deployment: Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, HarmonyOS, and as a Docker image.
• Knowledge Tools: Includes built-in Tesseract OCR and a flashcard system for spaced repetition.