Free alternatives to SiYuan

Obsidian answers SiYuan's biggest complaint directly: instead of JSON in a database, every note is a plain Markdown file in a folder you control, so leaving is just opening the folder. You keep backlinks, a graph, and a built-in canvas, the docs are English-first and clear, and the plugin library is over a thousand deep, all free for personal use (as of July 2026). Development is visibly active, which is the contrast people feel after SiYuan's translated interface. The catches are that the core is closed source and sync across devices is a paid add-on at $4 per user per month, where SiYuan charges once or syncs free offline.

• Free plan, paid from $4/month (as of July 2026)
• Canada

Best for:

SiYuan users who want plain Markdown files and English-first docs without giving up backlinks

The catch:

It is closed source, and block references and flashcards need plugins rather than shipping built in.

Logseq keeps SiYuan's block-linked way of working but stores notes as plain Markdown or Org files, and it is free with no sync purchase to unlock (as of July 2026). Every bullet is a block you can reference and query, the daily journal is the default entry point, and the whole app is AGPL-3.0 with English-first docs and a larger community than SiYuan's. Where SiYuan charges once for sync, Logseq relies on free iCloud, Dropbox, or Git routes. The trade is that it has no built-in PDF annotation or flashcards, and the outliner model is more rigid than SiYuan's document tree.

• Completely free (as of July 2026)
• United States
• Open source (AGPL-3.0)

Best for:

SiYuan users who want block-level links in plain files, fully open source and free

The catch:

It has no built-in PDF annotation or flashcards, and official sync is beta and limited to backers.

Joplin is the pick when you want a straightforward notebook app rather than SiYuan's dense block workspace, and free sync instead of a purchase. It is AGPL-3.0 on every platform, with notebooks, tags, attachments, a web clipper, and end-to-end encryption you switch on, syncing free to Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV, or S3 (as of July 2026). Its ENEX importer and English docs are well tested. The trade is that it has no block-level references or built-in database, and the interface looks a decade old next to SiYuan's.

• Free plan, paid from €2.4/month (as of July 2026)
• United Kingdom
• Open source (AGPL-3.0-or-later)

Best for:

SiYuan users who want a simple notebook workflow with free encrypted sync

The catch:

There are no block references or built-in database, and the interface is dated.

AppFlowy fits if what you wanted from SiYuan was more of a shared workspace than a personal offline vault. You get a block editor with slash commands, grid, board, and calendar database views, and real-time collaboration, all local-first so it works offline (as of July 2026). Self-hosting the AGPL-3.0 stack is free and removes the caps, with no sync purchase to unlock the app. The trade is that the hosted free plan stops at 2 members and 5 GB, it has no block references, flashcards, or PDF annotation, and its database relations and rollups are shallow.

• Free plan, paid from $10/month (as of July 2026)
• Singapore
• Open source (AGPL-3.0)

Best for:

SiYuan users who want shared, database-driven pages and collaboration

The catch:

The hosted free plan caps you at 2 members, and it lacks SiYuan's block references and flashcards.

AFFiNE is the choice when your SiYuan notes kept needing a diagram beside them. Any page flips into edgeless mode, where its blocks become cards on an infinite canvas you can connect and draw on, and it adds databases and real-time collaboration on top (as of July 2026). The free plan gives 10 GB of cloud sync, so unlike SiYuan you do not pay to sync. The client is MIT licensed, though the server directory carries a separate license. The trade is a 3-device login cap, a 10 MB file cap, no flashcards or PDF annotation, and stability that is not yet at SiYuan's level.

• Free plan, paid from $6.75/month (as of July 2026)
• Singapore
• Open source (MIT (client); server directory under a separate license)

Best for:

SiYuan users whose notes always end up beside a whiteboard or diagram

The catch:

The 3-device and 10 MB caps are tight, it lacks flashcards and PDF annotation, and it is less stable.

Anytype is the pick when privacy is the priority and SiYuan's plain-text storage worried you. Everything is encrypted on your device before it syncs peer-to-peer, local storage is unlimited, and structure comes from typed objects and relations rather than a document tree (as of July 2026). There is no sync purchase to unlock the app. The catches are that free gives only 100 MB of remote sync storage, the license is source-available rather than OSI open source, there is no web app, and it has no built-in flashcards or PDF annotation like SiYuan's.

• Free plan, paid from $4/month (as of July 2026)
• Switzerland

Best for:

SiYuan users who want encryption by default and structure across their notes

The catch:

Only 100 MB of free sync storage, a source-available license, and no flashcards or PDF annotation.