SiYuan vs Obsidian: Which to Self-Host?
Quick Verdict
Obsidian is the better choice for most users — plain Markdown files, a massive plugin ecosystem, and a huge community make it the safer bet. SiYuan wins if you want a WYSIWYG block editor with features like block embedding, database views, and built-in S3/WebDAV sync without third-party plugins.
Overview
SiYuan is an open-source, local-first note-taking app with block-level editing, bidirectional links, graph view, and database-style content views. It uses a custom JSON storage format and can be self-hosted as a Docker container for web access. Developed by B3log, a Chinese open-source organization.
Obsidian is a commercial (but free for personal use) Markdown-based knowledge management app. It stores notes as plain .md files, supports bidirectional links and a graph view, and has a massive plugin ecosystem. Obsidian itself isn’t open-source, but self-hosted sync is possible via the community LiveSync plugin with CouchDB.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | SiYuan | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Note format | Custom JSON (.sy files) | Plain Markdown (.md files) |
| Editor | WYSIWYG block editor | Markdown with live preview |
| Block references | Native, granular | Via plugin (limited) |
| Block embedding | Native (live-updating embeds) | Via plugin |
| Database views | Built-in (table, kanban) | Via Dataview plugin |
| Graph view | Built-in | Built-in |
| Bidirectional links | Built-in | Built-in |
| Plugin ecosystem | Small (~100) | Massive (1,500+) |
| Mobile app | Android + iOS | Android + iOS (polished) |
| Web access | Built-in (self-hosted Docker) | Obsidian Web (limited, third-party) |
| Self-hosted sync | Built-in S3/WebDAV + Docker server | Via LiveSync plugin + CouchDB |
| End-to-end encryption | Built-in (for cloud sync) | Via LiveSync plugin |
| PDF annotation | Built-in | Via plugin |
| Templates | Built-in template system | Via Templater plugin |
| License | AGPL-3.0 (open source) | Proprietary (free for personal use) |
Installation Complexity
SiYuan self-hosted: Single Docker container, no external database. Access via web browser. Simple deployment.
Obsidian self-hosted sync: Requires CouchDB Docker container, custom local.ini configuration for CORS, then installing and configuring the LiveSync community plugin in each Obsidian client. More moving parts.
SiYuan is simpler for web-based self-hosting. Obsidian requires more setup to get self-hosted sync working.
Performance and Resource Usage
| Resource | SiYuan (Docker) | Obsidian + CouchDB |
|---|---|---|
| Server RAM | ~200 MB | ~100 MB (CouchDB) |
| Client RAM | N/A (web browser) | 200-500 MB (Electron app) |
| CPU | Low | Low |
| Storage format | Efficient JSON blocks | Plain text Markdown |
SiYuan runs as a server accessed via browser — no client install needed (though desktop apps exist). Obsidian is an Electron desktop app with sync through CouchDB.
Community and Support
SiYuan: ~25,000 GitHub stars, active development, community primarily Chinese-speaking with growing English documentation. Updates are frequent (weekly patches).
Obsidian: Massive community — millions of users, active Discord (100,000+ members), Reddit (r/ObsidianMD with 200K+ members), and a thriving plugin ecosystem. Documentation and tutorials are abundant in English.
Obsidian’s community is significantly larger, which means more tutorials, themes, plugins, and troubleshooting help.
Use Cases
Choose SiYuan If…
- You prefer a WYSIWYG block editor over Markdown source editing
- Block-level references and embedding are essential to your workflow
- You want built-in database views without plugins
- You want a self-hosted web UI accessible from any browser
- You prefer open-source software (AGPL-3.0)
- Built-in S3/WebDAV sync is simpler for you than setting up CouchDB
Choose Obsidian If…
- You want plain Markdown files (future-proof, portable, readable anywhere)
- The plugin ecosystem matters (1,500+ plugins for any workflow)
- You want polished mobile apps
- You prefer a large English-speaking community for help
- You use many different tools that can read Markdown
- You want themes and customization options
- You’re already using Obsidian and want to self-host sync
Final Verdict
Obsidian is the safer choice for most people. Plain Markdown storage means your notes are never locked into a proprietary format. The plugin ecosystem handles anything SiYuan does natively (Dataview for databases, Excalidraw for canvas, various block reference plugins). And the community size ensures long-term sustainability.
SiYuan is the better product if you evaluate features in isolation — the WYSIWYG block editor is smoother, block references are more powerful, and database views work without plugins. But the custom storage format is a real trade-off: your notes are in .sy JSON files, not portable Markdown.
If portability and ecosystem matter: Obsidian. If native WYSIWYG power matters: SiYuan.
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