Document360
Document360 ships collaborative editing and a rebuilt API as it expands MCP control.
Comparison · Collab
Elgg vs SiYuan
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Elgg and SiYuan — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:open-source
Elgg vs SiYuan: at a glance
What is Elgg?
Elgg 7.1.0 adds invitation-only groups and designates MariaDB as its primary database
Elgg is a mature open-source PHP social networking framework used primarily for self-hosted community platforms. The 7.0 major version shipped in May 2026 and introduced system-level IP logging, accessibility improvements, and a generic entity controller. Since then the 7.x branch has been in a stabilization phase — the team maintains both 7.x for current users and the 6.x branch for security backports, with coordinated dual-branch release patterns visible across the changelog.
What is SiYuan?
Siyuan's v3.8.5 pre-release cycle adds AI decision model support and steady database view improvements.
Siyuan is in an active beta iteration cycle for v3.8.5, with builds shipping multiple times daily. The cycle covers database table refinements (frozen column resizing, relation dialog icon improvements), editor UX polish (cursor restoration on undo, improved Shift+Tab behavior in code blocks), and the addition of TypeSafe System One decision model support in the AI agent. The local-first, privacy-centric positioning remains unchanged.
Elgg vs SiYuan: editorial side-by-side
Elgg
5.0COLLAB
Elgg 7.1.0 adds invitation-only groups and designates MariaDB as its primary database
◆ Current state
Elgg is a mature open-source PHP social networking framework used primarily for self-hosted community platforms. The 7.0 major version shipped in May 2026 and introduced system-level IP logging, accessibility improvements, and a generic entity controller. Since then the 7.x branch has been in a stabilization phase — the team maintains both 7.x for current users and the 6.x branch for security backports, with coordinated dual-branch release patterns visible across the changelog.
◆ Where it's heading
Elgg 7.1.0 moves in two directions simultaneously: infrastructure positioning (MariaDB as the explicit recommended database for self-hosted deployments) and access control granularity (invitation-only group membership, admin-only menu items in entity actions). These are consistent investments in making Elgg viable for communities that need fine-grained permission models. The dual 6.x/7.x maintenance cadence reflects a conservative community that upgrades slowly and values stability over feature pace.
◆ Prediction
Continued dual-branch maintenance with 7.x accumulating incremental access control and entity management features while 6.x receives security backports. Given the 7.1.0 MariaDB recommendation, database-specific optimizations or stricter compatibility requirements for MariaDB are a plausible next step.
SiYuan
6.3COLLAB
Siyuan's v3.8.5 pre-release cycle adds AI decision model support and steady database view improvements.
◆ Current state
Siyuan is in an active beta iteration cycle for v3.8.5, with builds shipping multiple times daily. The cycle covers database table refinements (frozen column resizing, relation dialog icon improvements), editor UX polish (cursor restoration on undo, improved Shift+Tab behavior in code blocks), and the addition of TypeSafe System One decision model support in the AI agent. The local-first, privacy-centric positioning remains unchanged.
◆ Where it's heading
Siyuan is gradually extending its AI agent capabilities through structured model integrations—TypeSafe System One (Jev) is a decision modeling framework that brings typed decision logic into the AI agent context. The database views feature set continues to mature with each beta, suggesting this is a sustained focus area. The rapid alpha-to-beta cadence indicates the project maintains close to a continuous delivery model within major minor versions.
◆ Prediction
v3.8.5 will ship as stable within days, consolidating the beta improvements. Further AI agent extensions and database view enhancements are the likely next focus, consistent with the recent emphasis. The AI decision model integration suggests further structured knowledge representation features in future cycles.
Alternatives to Elgg 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 Elgg or SiYuan.
Teable
Teable adds credit billing for third-party tool calls, closing the automation revenue loop.
Wiki.js
Wiki.js 3.0 beta ships blog pages, AsciiDoc editor, and built-in comments in one drop
AFFiNE
AFFiNE ships iOS sharing and patches a silent self-hosting misconfiguration
GitHub
Copilot doubles down on agentic workflows as GitHub phases out older AI models
Skedda
Skedda opens a developer API — a clear signal it's repositioning as a workplace data platform
Recent activity from Elgg and SiYuan
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 5h agoSiYuanSiyuan 3.8.5-beta.5 cumulative: AI decision models, database polish, editor UX fixes
- 8h agoSiYuanv3.8.5-beta.4
- 13h agoSiYuanv3.8.5-beta.3
- 23h agoSiYuanv3.8.5-beta.2
- 1d agoSiYuanSiyuan 3.8.5-beta.1 introduces TypeSafe AI decision models and editor improvements
- 1d agoSiYuanv3.8.5-alpha.5
- 11d agoElggElgg 7.1.0: invitation-only groups and MariaDB becomes the recommended database
- 1mo agoElggElgg 7.0.5
- 1mo agoElggElgg 6.3.8
- 1mo agoElggElgg 7.0.4
- 1mo agoElggElgg 6.3.7
- 2mo agoElggElgg 7.0.3
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Elgg and SiYuan?
Both compete on the same themes — open-source — within Collab. SiYuan 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 Elgg better than SiYuan?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. SiYuan 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 Elgg?
Top Elgg alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Elgg alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/elgg 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.