head to head · open source
SiYuan vs AnyType
SiYuan has 47,039 GitHub stars, 3,095 forks, 18 open issues and last shipped yesterday. AnyType has 9,039 stars, 608 forks, 209 open issues and last shipped yesterday. SiYuan leads on adoption by 420% (47,039 vs 9,039 stars). SiYuan is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; AnyType is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. SiYuan has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, AnyType 7%. SiYuan was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (local-first), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| SiYuan | AnyType | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 47K | ★ 9.0K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.1K | ⑂ 608 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick SiYuan if
- You weight community size — 47K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick AnyType if
- You want the AnyType feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and AnyType fits your workflow better
About SiYuan
From thought to insight, with agents English 中文 日本語 Türkçe Table of Contents 💡 Introduction 🔮 Features 🏗️ Architecture and Ecosystem 🗺️ Roadmap 🚀 Download Setup App Market Installation Package Package Manager Docker Hosting Unraid Hosting TrueNAS Hosting Test Channels ⌨️ Command line Interface 🏘️ Community 🛠️ Development Guide ❓ FAQ How does SiYuan store data? Does it support data synchronization through a third party sync disk? Is SiYuan open source? How to upgrade to a new version? What if some blocks (such as paragraph blocks in list items) cannot find the block icon? What should I do if the data repo…
read the full SiYuan overview →
About AnyType
Anytype Desktop Local‑first, peer‑to‑peer & end‑to‑end‑encrypted knowledge OS for macOS, Windows & Linux. Anytype is a personal knowledge base —your digital brain—that lets you gather, connect and remix all kinds of information. Create pages, tasks, wikis, journals—even entire apps—and define your own data model while your data stays offline‑first, private and encrypted across devices. ✨ Key Features Offline‑first, local storage with optional peer‑to‑peer sync. Zero‑knowledge encryption powered by any‑sync . Composable blocks : text, databases, kanban, calendar & custom Types. Cross‑platform desktop client built…
read the full AnyType overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is SiYuan or AnyType more popular?
SiYuan has 47,039 GitHub stars and AnyType has 9,039. SiYuan has the larger community by that measure.
Are SiYuan and AnyType free?
Both are open source. SiYuan is licensed under AGPL-3.0, and AnyType has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between SiYuan and AnyType?
SiYuan is written in TypeScript and AnyType in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, SiYuan or AnyType?
Choose SiYuan if you want the larger community (47,039 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose AnyType if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.