Comparison
synto vs siyuan
Verdict
Pick synto if synto is an AI-powered markdown note management system for Obsidian users who prioritize local-first operations and personal knowledge management with zero online data sharing; pick siyuan if siyuan is a privacy-focused, self-hosted knowledge management tool written in TypeScript and Golang, specialized for personal digital gardens and integrating with various local storage solutions.
Markdown twin · synto alternatives · siyuan alternatives
GraphCanon updated 1w
Trust & integrity
| Signal | synto | siyuan |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (5d since push) As of 1w · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d since push) As of 4w · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Personal account As of 1w · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of 4w · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 1mo · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- synto
- Local AI-powered markdown note management system for Obsidian
- siyuan
- A privacy-first, self-hosted personal knowledge management software
Stars
- synto
- 230
- siyuan
- 45k
Forks
- synto
- 24
- siyuan
- 2.9k
Open issues
- synto
- 10
- siyuan
- 263
Language
- synto
- Python
- siyuan
- TypeScript
Adopt for
- synto
- Synto is an AI-powered markdown note management system for Obsidian users who prioritize local-first operations and personal knowledge management with zero online data sharing.
- siyuan
- Siyuan is a privacy-focused, self-hosted knowledge management tool written in TypeScript and Golang, specialized for personal digital gardens and integrating with various local storage solutions.
Persona
- synto
- -
- siyuan
- -
Runtime
- synto
- -
- siyuan
- -
License
- synto
- MIT
- siyuan
- AGPL-3.0
Last pushed
- synto
- Aug 8, 2026
- siyuan
- Jul 25, 2026
Categories
- synto
- Developer Tools, LLM Frameworks
- siyuan
- Developer Tools
Trust and health
Days since push
- synto
- 5d
- siyuan
- 0d
Open issues (now)
- synto
- 10
- siyuan
- 263
Owner type
- synto
- User
- siyuan
- Organization
Full report
- synto
- Trust report
- siyuan
- Trust report
Choose synto if…
- synto is primarily Python; siyuan is TypeScript.
- License: synto is MIT, siyuan is AGPL-3.0.
- Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM.
- Tags unique to synto: git-based-wiki, knowledge-base, llm-knowledge-base, llm-tools.
- Also covers LLM Frameworks.
- When you prefer to keep all your personal notes and insights strictly on your device without any cloud involvement.
When NOT to use synto
- When you need cloud-based backup or sharing features across devices that support collaborative editing off-site.
- If your workflow requires real-time synchronization and collaboration capabilities beyond a single device environment.
- For teams looking to integrate their Obsidian wikis with external knowledge bases, as Synto focuses solely on local data.
Choose siyuan if…
- siyuan is primarily TypeScript; synto is Python.
- License: siyuan is AGPL-3.0, synto is MIT.
- Tags unique to siyuan: ai-agent, digital-garden, knowledge-graph, local-first.
- siyuan ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- Siyuan should be used when you require a fully open-source tool that prioritizes privacy and keeps all data locally.
When NOT to use siyuan
- Siyuan may not be suitable if you require cloud synchronization features provided by proprietary software as it focuses on local-first operations.
- If your preference is for a more visually customizable interface, Siyuan's design might have limitations compared to its competitors that offer extensive theming and UI customization.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (kytmanov/synto) · observed Aug 13, 2026
- GitHub forks (kytmanov/synto) · observed Aug 13, 2026
- Last push (kytmanov/synto) · observed Aug 8, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Aug 13, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (siyuan-note/siyuan) · observed Jul 26, 2026
- GitHub forks (siyuan-note/siyuan) · observed Jul 26, 2026
- Last push (siyuan-note/siyuan) · observed Jul 25, 2026
- License file (AGPL-3.0) · observed Jul 26, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 12, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 12, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: synto 230 · siyuan 45k (synced Aug 13, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between synto and siyuan?
- synto: Local AI-powered markdown note management system for Obsidian. siyuan: A privacy-first, self-hosted personal knowledge management software. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose synto over siyuan?
- Choose synto over siyuan when synto is primarily Python; siyuan is TypeScript; License: synto is MIT, siyuan is AGPL-3.0; Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Tags unique to synto: git-based-wiki, knowledge-base, llm-knowledge-base, llm-tools; Also covers LLM Frameworks; When you prefer to keep all your personal notes and insights strictly on your device without any cloud involvement.
- When should I choose siyuan over synto?
- Choose siyuan over synto when siyuan is primarily TypeScript; synto is Python; License: siyuan is AGPL-3.0, synto is MIT; Tags unique to siyuan: ai-agent, digital-garden, knowledge-graph, local-first; siyuan ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; Siyuan should be used when you require a fully open-source tool that prioritizes privacy and keeps all data locally.
- When should I avoid synto?
- When you need cloud-based backup or sharing features across devices that support collaborative editing off-site. If your workflow requires real-time synchronization and collaboration capabilities beyond a single device environment. For teams looking to integrate their Obsidian wikis with external knowledge bases, as Synto focuses solely on local data.
- When should I avoid siyuan?
- Siyuan may not be suitable if you require cloud synchronization features provided by proprietary software as it focuses on local-first operations. If your preference is for a more visually customizable interface, Siyuan's design might have limitations compared to its competitors that offer extensive theming and UI customization.
- Is synto or siyuan more popular on GitHub?
- siyuan has more GitHub stars (45,416 vs 230). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are synto and siyuan open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (synto: MIT, siyuan: AGPL-3.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to synto or siyuan?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at synto alternatives and siyuan alternatives (synto markdown twin, siyuan markdown twin), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.
- Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?
- Yes. The markdown twin at this comparison mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, synto or siyuan?
- synto: Very active. siyuan: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.
- Where are the full trust reports for synto and siyuan?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: synto trust report; siyuan trust report.