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Comparison · Collab

Kagi Search vs SiYuan

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Kagi Search and SiYuan — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Kagi Search vs SiYuan: at a glance

FeatureKagi SearchSiYuan
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score0.06.3
Sparks · 30d00
Top themessearch-api, assistant, mobile-apps, user-controlpkm, block-editor, local-first, mind-mapping
Last editorial update1mo ago1d ago
Website—Visit →

What is Kagi Search?

Kagi is unbundling itself: search as an API, Assistant as an app, AI as a switch.

The dated part of this feed stops in April on housekeeping releases — reliability work, refinements, a Small Web expansion. Everything since sits in undated rows and is more substantial: the Search API went to public preview in May carrying each account's own lenses and blocklists, June started rebuilding search widgets, July added a global off-switch for AI in search, and July 30 put Kagi Assistant on iOS and Android as a standalone app.

Read the full Kagi Search trajectory →

What is SiYuan?

SiYuan is adding mind map block types and calendar scheduling depth as it pushes toward 3.8.6.

SiYuan is a local-first personal knowledge management tool in rapid alpha/beta iteration. The 3.8.6 alpha cycle introduces dedicated mind map and mind map item block types as first-class primitives, expanded calendar views with ISO week numbers and inbox scheduling, JavaScript embed support in image and PDF exports, and workspace storage statistics. The product ships multiple alpha builds per day and is clearly in a feature-accumulation phase before a stable release.

Read the full SiYuan trajectory →

Kagi Search vs SiYuan: editorial side-by-side

K0.0

Kagi is unbundling itself: search as an API, Assistant as an app, AI as a switch.

◆ Current state

The dated part of this feed stops in April on housekeeping releases — reliability work, refinements, a Small Web expansion. Everything since sits in undated rows and is more substantial: the Search API went to public preview in May carrying each account's own lenses and blocklists, June started rebuilding search widgets, July added a global off-switch for AI in search, and July 30 put Kagi Assistant on iOS and Android as a standalone app.

◆ Where it's heading

Kagi is separating what used to be one subscription into distinct products with distinct surfaces: a search index other people can query, an assistant that lives on a phone, and a search page where the AI layer is optional. The through-line is user control — preferences that follow the API key, widgets that can be switched off individually, threads that can be exported or deleted in bulk — which is the one thing an ad-funded competitor cannot match on. Growth now depends on those surfaces rather than on convincing people to change their default search engine.

◆ Prediction

The Search API is the piece with launch details still outstanding, so expect it to leave preview with firm pricing and the beta users migrated; the mobile Assistant is described as a first step, which points to the missing platform features arriving next.

S
SiYuan
COLLAB
6.3

SiYuan is adding mind map block types and calendar scheduling depth as it pushes toward 3.8.6.

◆ Current state

SiYuan is a local-first personal knowledge management tool in rapid alpha/beta iteration. The 3.8.6 alpha cycle introduces dedicated mind map and mind map item block types as first-class primitives, expanded calendar views with ISO week numbers and inbox scheduling, JavaScript embed support in image and PDF exports, and workspace storage statistics. The product ships multiple alpha builds per day and is clearly in a feature-accumulation phase before a stable release.

◆ Where it's heading

SiYuan continues deepening its block-based model by adding new primitive types — mind maps are the latest addition to a growing set that already includes databases, calendars, and embed blocks. Each new primitive adds interoperability complexity; the concurrent improvements to backlink display, reference sorting, and transitive link traversal suggest an underlying effort to make cross-block navigation coherent as the graph grows. The AI agent is also receiving model integrations (TypeSafe System One for decision modeling).

◆ Prediction

The 3.8.5 and 3.8.6 lines will merge into a stable release soon. The AI agent model integration and decision-model support suggest a near-term push to make the AI layer genuinely useful for structured knowledge work, not just Q&A over notes.

Alternatives to Kagi Search 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 Kagi Search or SiYuan.

See all Kagi Search alternatives → · See all SiYuan alternatives →

Recent activity from Kagi Search and SiYuan

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 1d agoSiYuanAdd mind map blocks, JS embeds in exports, workspace stats
  2. 1d agoSiYuanAdd JS embed export support and command-panel block insertion
  3. 2d agoSiYuanReference sorting and embed toolbar refinements
  4. 2d agoSiYuanCalendar views: schedule undated items, inbox insertion, ISO weeks
  5. 4d agoSiYuanAI agent gains decision model support; database and spell-check polish
  6. 4d agoSiYuanBeta stabilization: decision model and database fixes (v3.8.5-beta.4)
  7. 5mo agoKagi Search- Tuning the Orchestra #
  8. 6mo agoKagi Search- Small Web Expansion and Translate goes viral # ⚡
  9. 7mo agoKagi Search- Smoothing the edges #
  10. 7mo agoKagi Search- Kagi Translate on Android & iOS: translate anything, anywhere # ⚡
  11. 8mo agoKagi Search- Assistant reliability upgrades and Search refinements #
  12. 8mo agoKagi Search- New Year tune-up: smoother everything! #

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Kagi Search and SiYuan?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. SiYuan is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), 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 Kagi Search 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 0.0), 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 Kagi Search?

Top Kagi Search alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Kagi Search alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/kagi 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.