Joplin vs SiYuan
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Joplin
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose
SiYuan
Open-source, local-first notes built on linked content blocks
Where they differ
- Joplin starts at 2.40€ per month, billed yearly at 28.69€ (Joplin Cloud Basic). SiYuan starts at $64 one-time payment (PRO Features).
- Joplin also covers Markdown and web clipper.
- SiYuan also covers linked notes and databases.
At a glance
| Joplin | SiYuan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | 2.40€ per month, billed yearly at 28.69€ (Joplin Cloud Basic) | $64 one-time payment (PRO Features) |
| Free plan | The Joplin apps are free and open source, and can sync through your own Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV or S3 storage. Joplin Cloud is an optional paid service. | Free: basic functions with local storage, including for commercial use. Data sync and backup between devices are paid features. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid plans; cancel during the trial and you are not charged. | A trial subscription can be enabled in the desktop app under Settings > Account; its length is not stated |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Laurent Cozic | Yunnan Liandi Technology Co., Ltd. |
| Price read from | joplinapp.org | b3log.org |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Joplin
- People who want open source notes synced through their own storage
- Privacy-minded users who want end-to-end encrypted sync
- Leaving Evernote: its export files import with formatting and attachments
- Markdown writers who work across Windows, macOS, Linux and mobile
SiYuan
- People who want notes stored on their own device and usable offline
- Note-takers who link ideas at the block level and explore them in a graph
- Learners who want flashcards alongside their notes
Worth knowing
Joplin
- End-to-end encryption is not on by default, and a forgotten encryption password cannot be recovered.
- Joplin Cloud and Joplin Server Business prices are listed in euros.
- On Joplin Cloud Basic you can join a shared notebook but not share your own; that and Email to Note need Pro.
- The browser-based web app and Joplin Cloud AI (beta) are available only with a Joplin Cloud subscription.
SiYuan
- Syncing devices costs money: $64 once to use your own S3 or WebDAV storage, or the subscription for the official cloud.
- The official cloud storage is limited to 8 GB per user.
- Refunds are not available after subscribing; the vendor suggests trying the trial subscription in the desktop app first.
- Browser access comes from a self-hosted Docker server or a desktop app on the same local network.
Key features
Joplin
- Markdown notes and to-dos
- Notes and to-dos are written in Markdown or a rich text editor, organized into notebooks with tags, and found through full-text search on every platform.
- Multimedia, math and diagrams
- Notes can hold images, videos, PDFs and audio files, and math expressions and diagrams are created inside the app.
- Sync through a service you choose
- Notes synchronize through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV, S3 or the local file system, and switching from one service to another is supported.
- End-to-end encryption
- Synchronized notes can be end-to-end encrypted so that the sync service cannot read them. It is off by default and has to be enabled on one device first.
- Web clipper
- Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox save web pages and screenshots as notes.
- Plugins, themes and publishing
- Plugins, custom themes and an extension API change how the app works. With Joplin Cloud, a note can be published to a URL and notebooks shared for collaboration.
SiYuan
- Block-based editor
- Everything is a content block. The WYSIWYG editor offers more than 20 block types and 10 inline types, and any block can be zoomed into on its own.
- Block references and backlinks
- Blocks link in both directions, a backlink panel surfaces mentions that can be turned into links, and global and block-level graphs show how notes connect.
- Databases
- Database views support relations that connect two databases, rollups across them and templates.
- Flashcards
- Built-in spaced repetition schedules card reviews with the FSRS algorithm.
- End-to-end encrypted sync
- Paid options sync devices with end-to-end encryption, using either the official 8 GB cloud or S3 or WebDAV storage that you provide.
- Self-hosted server
- A Docker image runs SiYuan on your own server for use from a browser, with a lock-screen password controlling access.
Plans
Joplin
Joplin appFree
The open source desktop, mobile and terminal apps, with sync through third-party storage and optional end-to-end encryption.
Joplin Cloud Basic2.99€
per month, or 28.69€ per year (2.40€ / month)
2 GB of storage and 10 MB per note or attachment, with note publishing, the web app and Joplin Cloud AI (beta). Can join shared notebooks only.
Joplin Cloud Pro5.99€
per month, or 57.48€ per year (4.79€ / month)
30 GB of storage and 200 MB per note or attachment, plus sharing notebooks, Email to Note and a custom publishing banner.
Joplin Cloud Pro 100 GB9.99€
per month, or 95.88€ per year (7.99€ / month)
Everything in Pro with 100 GB of storage space.
Joplin Cloud Teams7.99€
per user / month, or 80.28€ per user / year; minimum 2 users
50 GB of storage, with multi-user management, consolidated billing, share permissions and priority support.
Joplin Server Business3.33€
per user / month for 2-10 users, billed annually (40.00€)
Self-hosted server with source code available and no storage or attachment limits. 2.92€ per user for 11-50 users, 2.50€ beyond that.
SiYuan
Free$0
Basic functions with local storage, described by the vendor as completely free.
PRO Features$64
one-time payment
Adds data sync and backup through your own S3 or WebDAV storage; no storage is included. Shown as reduced from $96.
Subscription$148
one-time payment for a lifetime subscription
PRO Features plus 8 GB of official cloud storage, official sync and backup, a cloud inbox and asset hosting. Shown as reduced from $296 for limited seats.
Ways to pay less
Joplin
- Annual discount
Roughly 16% to 20% lower price when paying yearly
Basic works out to 2.40€ a month on yearly billing against 2.99€ monthly, Pro to 4.79€ against 5.99€, and Teams to 6.69€ per user against 7.99€.
- Education
50% Education Discount for students and teachers
Students and teachers who write in from a school or university email address get 50% off Joplin Cloud for a year, renewable for as long as they remain in education.
SiYuan
- Lifetime license
Lifetime subscription at $148 for limited seats
A vendor post says the $148 lifetime price covers a limited number of seats, then reverts to $296, and that the lifetime option closes once all seats are sold.
