What is the main difference between Joplin and SiYuan?

Joplin and SiYuan are both note-taking tools but differ in their approach, features, and target audience. Compare their GitHub stats, technology stack, and community adoption to make the best choice.

Which is better: Joplin or SiYuan?

The choice between Joplin and SiYuan depends on your specific needs, technical requirements, and team preferences. Both are quality open source solutions with active communities.

Can I migrate from Joplin to SiYuan?

Migration between Joplin and SiYuan is possible but requires careful planning. Consider data export/import capabilities, feature parity, and potential workflow changes.

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Joplin vs SiYuan

Learn how Joplin and SiYuan differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these note-taking tools is best for you.

Joplin

Cross-platform note-taking app with end-to-end encryption, Markdown support, web clipping, and sync via Dropbox, OneDrive, or Joplin Cloud.

Visit Joplin Read more

56,850stars+373(+0.7%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
10 hours ago
Repository age
10 years
Version
v3.7.21
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
laurent22/joplin

SiYuan

Personal knowledge management system with WYSIWYG block editing, bidirectional links, spaced repetition flashcards, a relational database, and end-to-end encrypted sync.

Visit SiYuan Read more

46,902stars+425(+0.9%)

Last 30 days

Last commit
11 hours ago
Repository age
6 years
Version
v3.8.8
License
AGPL-3.0
Self-hosted
Yes
Repository
siyuan-note/siyuan

Detailed Comparison

Both Joplin and SiYuan have their unique strengths and serve similar purposes effectively. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.

Comparable

Community & Popularity

Both tools have similar popularity levels, with Joplin having 56,850 stars and SiYuan having 46,902 stars on GitHub. In terms of developer contributions, Joplin has 6,363 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

SiYuan wins

Growth Momentum

SiYuan is growing faster, adding 425 stars in the last 30 days (+0.9%) against adding 373 stars for Joplin (+0.7%). SiYuan is the smaller project of the two, so it is closing the gap rather than extending a lead.

Comparable

Development Activity

Both projects show recent activity, with Joplin last updated 10 hours ago and SiYuan 11 hours ago.

Comparable

Technology Stack

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, CSS, Bash, Typescript, Python, SCSS. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Joplin uses JSX, Rust, C, Objective-C, Java, Swift, C++, Ruby, Kotlin, MATLAB while SiYuan leverages Golang.

Joplin wins

Project Maturity

Joplin has been in development longer, starting 10 years ago, compared to SiYuan which began 6 years ago. This 3.7-year head start suggests Joplin may have more mature features and established processes.

SiYuan wins

Licensing

SiYuan is licensed under AGPL-3.0, while Joplin's license terms are not publicly specified.

Comparable

Use Cases & Features

Both tools serve similar use cases in Note-Taking, Personal Knowledge Management (PKM). However, they also have distinct specializations: Joplin also focuses on Secure & Encrypted Notes.

Comparable