APAppFlowy
Use with conditions
Combine documents, knowledge bases, and project databases in a workspace, with desktop, mobile, and self-hosted paths.
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SISiYuan
Notes & Knowledge
Organize personal knowledge with content blocks, bidirectional links, databases, and review cards, with local workspaces.
Use with conditions
Last updatedRelease 2026-09-29
Open source licenseAGPL-3.0
PlatformsWindows · macOS · Linux · Android · iOS · HarmonyOS
DeploymentDesktop / Mobile
About this project
SiYuan is a personal knowledge-management application built around content blocks. It combines block-level references and bidirectional links with a Markdown editor that displays formatted content while editing. Paragraphs, lists, and other blocks can be connected or embedded across documents. Outline editing and block focus provide additional ways to work with document structure. References connect content across the collection.
Features include formulas, diagrams, web clipping, links to PDF annotations, a table database view, and spaced-repetition flashcards. Documents can be exported to standard Markdown with assets, PDF, Word, or HTML. Templates, a community marketplace, and an API extend workflows. Its feature list describes AI writing and question answering through the OpenAI API.
Data lives in a workspace directory: documents use JSON-based .sy files, while attachments have a separate assets directory. Desktop and mobile applications coexist with a Docker deployment option. The documented container version is browser-only and has import and export limitations. Most features are free, but some require paid membership, so deployment and membership boundaries matter.
Decision guide
01
Why it is worth a look
- Notes, databases, and flashcards together
- Official desktop and mobile download paths
- Local workspaces and optional deployment methods
02
Before you use it
- Some features are available only to paid members
- Docker has browser-use and import/export limitations and is not equivalent to the complete desktop version
- AI writing through the OpenAI API requires the corresponding service and key
Manual setupLow
With an AI agentLow
DeploymentDesktop / Mobile
Additional requirementsNot verified
Use a supported operating system; Have permission to install local applications; Some requirements have not been verified. Check the official setup instructions.
03
What it can do
- Content-block references and embeds
- Markdown editing and outlines
- Links to PDF annotations
- Database tables
- Spaced-repetition flashcards
- Multiple document export formats
Who it fits
Good for
People who like bidirectional links and block-based notes; Personal knowledge organization and review
Not a fit
Expecting all cloud and advanced features without paid boundaries
Getting started
- Install a stable version from an official app-market or download page
- Choose a local workspace and create a test note
- Confirm required feature entitlements before enabling synchronization or AI
