SilverBullet vs SiYuan
We give SilverBullet a 3.4 GPA and SiYuan a 3.6, out of 4.0. SilverBullet grades higher on the free plan. SiYuan grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SilverBullet
Scriptable Markdown knowledge base, self-hosted or on desktop
SiYuan
Open-source, local-first notes built on linked content blocks
How we grade them
| 3.4GPASilverBulletVery good | 3.6GPASiYuanExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe Server is free and MIT-licensed for any number of users, and Desktop Personal is free too. Using the desktop app for work needs Pro at $50 per user a year, which is still under what note apps typically charge. Hosted on PikaPods, it starts at $2 a month. | APRO Features is $64 once, shown as reduced from $96. That's less than a year of a typical note subscription, though you supply the S3 or WebDAV storage yourself. The ready-made route is the $148 lifetime subscription with 8 GB of official cloud. No refunds on either. |
| Free plan and trial | AYou could stay free for good. The Server has no user limit, at home or at work, and Desktop Personal gives you unlimited spaces and sync with any Server. Only work use of the desktop app costs money. | BThe app is free for local use, work included, and most features are in it. But sync and backup between devices are paid, so a free phone and a free laptop won't share notes. A trial subscription can be switched on in the desktop app, though its length isn't stated. |
| Features | AA Markdown editor that renders as you type, wiki links with Linked Mentions, queries that update as your notes change, and Space Lua for adding your own commands and widgets. The Server adds accounts, roles, comments and single sign-on. Live sync and the object graph are still marked experimental. | AEverything is a block: more than 20 block types, references in both directions, a backlink panel and graphs of how notes connect. Databases have relations and rollups, and flashcards are scheduled with the FSRS algorithm. Paid sync is end-to-end encrypted. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. The desktop app opens any local folder, which is simple enough. But using it in a browser or on a phone means running the Server as a container or a binary, or renting one from PikaPods. And the clever parts are things you script. | BNo rating on record, so a B is our ceiling. It's a WYSIWYG editor, so notes look formatted as you type. The cheaper sync option does mean buying or setting up your own S3 or WebDAV storage, mind. |
| Platforms and integrations | BAny browser through the Server, plus desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux, and your notes can sit in a git repository. There's no app-store mobile app. Phones open the Server in a browser and can install it as a PWA. | AWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, with OpenAI as the one integration on record. The browser is the fiddly one: it needs a self-hosted Docker server, or a desktop app on the same local network. |
| Best for | Markdown notes you can query and script | block-linked notes kept on your own device |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: SilverBullet and SiYuan. How we grade
Where they differ
- SilverBullet starts at $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use). SiYuan starts at $64 one-time payment (PRO Features).
- Only SiYuan lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only SiYuan lists a browser extension.
- SiYuan is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- SilverBullet also covers Markdown and wiki.
- SiYuan also covers databases.
At a glance
| SilverBullet | SiYuan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use) | $64 one-time payment (PRO Features) |
| Free plan | SilverBullet Server is free and open source for any number of users. Desktop Personal is free for personal use and education, with unlimited spaces and sync with any Server. | Free: basic functions with local storage, including for commercial use. Data sync and backup between devices are paid features. |
| Free trial | None listed | 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 | Zef Hemel | Yunnan Liandi Technology Co., Ltd. |
| Price read from | silverbullet.md | b3log.org |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
SilverBullet
- People who want Markdown notes they can query and script
- Self-hosters running a personal or team wiki from one container
- Developers keeping documentation in the same git repository as their code
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
SilverBullet
- Using the Desktop app at work requires Pro at $50 per user per year; only personal and education use is free.
- Desktop is not open source. The FAQ says only SilverBullet Server is, with the same editor and Space Lua in both.
- There is no app-store mobile app: phones open the Server in a browser and can install it as a PWA.
- The features page marks live sync, the Mention Inbox and the object graph as experimental.
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
SilverBullet
- Live Preview Markdown editor
- Plain Markdown is rendered as you type, including links, tasks, tables, code and widgets. Outlining, templates, slash commands, a daily journal and an optional Vim mode are included.
- Wiki links and Linked Mentions
- Double-bracket links connect pages, headings or positions, every page lists where it is mentioned, and a page or section can be embedded inside another.
- Live queries
- Notes can be queried like a database from inside a page, for example open tasks across projects or every page with a tag, and the results update as notes change.
- Space Lua scripting
- A Lua dialect built into the notes adds commands, widgets and automations with no build step, and CSS written in a page restyles the interface.
- Server for browsers and teams
- The Server runs as one container or a single binary and is used from any browser, with accounts and roles, comments, @-mentions, single sign-on and read-only publishing.
- Desktop app with sync
- Desktop opens any local folder as a space, binds system-wide shortcuts to commands, and syncs both ways with your own or a hosted SilverBullet Server.
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
SilverBullet
Server$0
The MIT-licensed server for any number of users, at home or at work, run on your own hardware and used from a browser.
Desktop Personal$0
The desktop app for personal use and education, with unlimited spaces and sync with any SilverBullet Server.
Desktop Pro$50
per user / year
Needed for work use. Adds Meta Space, the Edge release channel of nightly builds, and bulk seats that can be assigned to a team.
Cloud$2
per month and up, billed by PikaPods
SilverBullet Server hosted by PikaPods, an independent host, with one-click deployment and starting credit at sign-up.
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
SilverBullet
- Education
Desktop is free for use in education
SilverBullet Desktop is free for personal use and for use in education. Only work use needs the Pro license at $50 per user per year.
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.
