Syncthing
Syncthing 2.1.7 hits a fourth release candidate as fixes move from protocol to sync logic.
Comparison · Collab
AFFiNE vs SiYuan
A side-by-side editorial comparison of AFFiNE and SiYuan — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
AFFiNE vs SiYuan: at a glance
What is AFFiNE?
AFFiNE breaks a run of dependency-only canaries with a fix for blob uploads after quota changes.
AFFiNE is a collaborative workspace (docs, whiteboard, knowledge base) shipping canary builds across cloud, self-hosted Docker and native iOS/Mac apps. After five canaries of dependency work (piscina security patch, Node.js 22.23.3, Swift EventSource, ESLint v10, a broad dependency refresh), canary.921 fixes server-side blob sync: uploads read the current workspace storage limit, cancellation only hits the matching upload, and failed storage reservations retry more reliably. Before that came a stable iOS Share Extension, MCP Server visibility tied to Copilot, and config-driven OAuth and payment settings.
What is SiYuan?
SiYuan's second 3.8.9 alpha in a day adds TIFF previews and depth limits for automation.
SiYuan ran 3.8.8 through six alphas and four betas in about four days, rolling up Gemini and DeepSeek agent support and database automation. The 3.8.9 line opened with pinned agent sessions and mind-map node copy-paste; alpha.2 adds TIFF previews, sync checkout progress and cancellation, mobile bottom backlinks, a subdocument-depth limit for database automation scopes and consolidated workspace AI instructions.
AFFiNE vs SiYuan: editorial side-by-side
AFFiNE
6.3COLLAB
AFFiNE breaks a run of dependency-only canaries with a fix for blob uploads after quota changes.
◆ Current state
AFFiNE is a collaborative workspace (docs, whiteboard, knowledge base) shipping canary builds across cloud, self-hosted Docker and native iOS/Mac apps. After five canaries of dependency work (piscina security patch, Node.js 22.23.3, Swift EventSource, ESLint v10, a broad dependency refresh), canary.921 fixes server-side blob sync: uploads read the current workspace storage limit, cancellation only hits the matching upload, and failed storage reservations retry more reliably. Before that came a stable iOS Share Extension, MCP Server visibility tied to Copilot, and config-driven OAuth and payment settings.
◆ Where it's heading
The canary channel is moving from toolchain housekeeping back to product fixes, starting with storage and sync correctness on the server. The three active lines remain mobile capture, making Copilot and MCP switchable per deployment, and getting quota, payment and auth behaviour right for self-hosted and cloud workspaces.
◆ Prediction
A stable release bundling the iOS Share Extension and the recent storage fixes is the most likely next visible move; the entries don't show its timing.
SiYuan
5.0COLLAB
SiYuan's second 3.8.9 alpha in a day adds TIFF previews and depth limits for automation.
◆ Current state
SiYuan ran 3.8.8 through six alphas and four betas in about four days, rolling up Gemini and DeepSeek agent support and database automation. The 3.8.9 line opened with pinned agent sessions and mind-map node copy-paste; alpha.2 adds TIFF previews, sync checkout progress and cancellation, mobile bottom backlinks, a subdocument-depth limit for database automation scopes and consolidated workspace AI instructions.
◆ Where it's heading
The release rhythm is a fast alpha-to-beta loop with a new minor every few days, mixing agent features with editor and sync polish. Database automation is gaining scoping controls release by release, and the agent is becoming a persistent workspace object rather than a side panel.
◆ Prediction
Expect more 3.8.9 alphas, then betas, within days. The entries still show no 3.8.8 stable, so it's unclear whether the betas promote or roll straight into the next line.
Alternatives to AFFiNE and SiYuan
Other Collab products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either AFFiNE or SiYuan.
Teable
Teable tries a chat-first workspace: the grid becomes one output of an AI conversation.
Elgg
Elgg ships paired 7.1.2 and 6.3.9 patches: both branches stay in maintenance mode.
Hive
Hive gives clients a passwordless portal for every proof waiting on them, across companies.
GitHub
GitHub previews a package firewall that blocks malicious dependencies at install time.
Wiki.js
Wiki.js 3.0 beta adds live notes that can be published straight to pages.
See all AFFiNE alternatives → · See all SiYuan alternatives →
Recent activity from AFFiNE and SiYuan
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.9 alpha.2 adds TIFF previews and automation depth limits
- 4d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.9 alpha.1 adds pinned agent sessions and mind-map copy
- 5d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.8 beta.4 rebuild with unchanged release notes
- 6d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.8 beta.3 rebuild with unchanged release notes
- 6d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.8 beta.2 fixes iOS double-tap selection
- 6d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.8 beta 1 rolls up Gemini, DeepSeek and database automation
- 13d agoAFFiNEAFFiNE fixes blob uploads after storage quota changes
- 14d agoAFFiNEDependency refresh plus smoother workspace-switch transitions
- 15d agoAFFiNECanary 908: ESLint upgraded to v10
- 16d agoAFFiNECanary bumps the native EventSource library to 0.1.9
- 17d agoAFFiNENode.js runtime bumped to 22.23.3
- 18d agoAFFiNECanary patches piscina RCE advisory with a 5.3.2 bump
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between AFFiNE and SiYuan?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. AFFiNE is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is AFFiNE better than SiYuan?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. AFFiNE is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Collab products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to AFFiNE?
Top AFFiNE alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "AFFiNE alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/affine for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to SiYuan?
Top SiYuan alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "SiYuan alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/siyuan for the full list with editorial commentary on each.