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Comparison · Collab

Keybase vs SiYuan

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

Keybase vs SiYuan: at a glance

FeatureKeybaseSiYuan
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score1.36.3
Sparks · 30d00
Top themeszoom subsidiary, ios polish, broken crawl, low-signal feednote-taking, ai-agent, mcp, semantic-search
Last editorial update3mo ago15h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Keybase?

Keybase's feed is mostly broken crawls; the one real release (v6.6.0) is iOS polish from March.

Three of the four entries the crawler captured are GitHub error pages ('Sorry, something went wrong') that mostly contain a username and the standard tab navigation — the crawler is hitting profile pages that load partially. The only real content is v6.6.0 on March 6, which shipped iOS sharing improvements, Emoji 16 support, HEIC avatars, and assorted fixes.

Read the full Keybase trajectory →

What is SiYuan?

SiYuan's v3.8.0 train restates one AI feature set across seven consecutive builds.

SiYuan is deep in a v3.8.0 preview train — four alphas and three betas since August 1 — and every build republishes the same four headline features: an AI Agent, semantic search over AI embeddings with reranking, Model Context Protocol support, and OIDC authentication. Two pairs of these builds carry byte-identical published notes, so the per-build delta is not visible from the feed at all. What does vary is a long enhancement list covering sync, mobile platforms and database views.

Read the full SiYuan trajectory →

Keybase vs SiYuan: editorial side-by-side

Keybase logo
Keybase
COLLAB
1.3

Keybase's feed is mostly broken crawls; the one real release (v6.6.0) is iOS polish from March.

◆ Current state

Three of the four entries the crawler captured are GitHub error pages ('Sorry, something went wrong') that mostly contain a username and the standard tab navigation — the crawler is hitting profile pages that load partially. The only real content is v6.6.0 on March 6, which shipped iOS sharing improvements, Emoji 16 support, HEIC avatars, and assorted fixes.

◆ Where it's heading

Keybase remains in slow-maintenance mode under Zoom: sporadic point releases focused on mobile niceties, no signs of a meaningful directional push. Confidence is limited by the source quality — half the feed is unusable.

◆ Prediction

Source likely needs re-pointing to the GitHub releases feed for the keybase/client repo to capture future releases reliably. Product itself probably ships another iOS-focused point release before any cross-platform feature lands.

S
SiYuan
COLLAB
6.3

SiYuan's v3.8.0 train restates one AI feature set across seven consecutive builds.

◆ Current state

SiYuan is deep in a v3.8.0 preview train — four alphas and three betas since August 1 — and every build republishes the same four headline features: an AI Agent, semantic search over AI embeddings with reranking, Model Context Protocol support, and OIDC authentication. Two pairs of these builds carry byte-identical published notes, so the per-build delta is not visible from the feed at all. What does vary is a long enhancement list covering sync, mobile platforms and database views.

◆ Where it's heading

The release notes are cumulative rather than incremental, which makes the train read as a single release delivered in installments. Beneath the repeated feature banner the actual work is platform breadth: LAN peer-assisted acceleration for cloud sync, audio recording on Android and HarmonyOS, custom font import on mobile, and configurable Stable, Beta and Alpha update channels. Reaching beta.3 within ten days of the first alpha says the train is converging.

◆ Prediction

A v3.8.0 stable release looks close given the move from first alpha to third beta inside ten days. The update-channel setting arriving in this same cycle suggests the project intends to keep running parallel preview streams once it ships.

Alternatives to Keybase 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 Keybase or SiYuan.

See all Keybase alternatives → · See all SiYuan alternatives →

Recent activity from Keybase and SiYuan

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

  1. 1d agoSiYuanThird v3.8.0 beta restating the AI Agent and MCP feature set
  2. 3d agoSiYuanSecond v3.8.0 beta, cumulative notes restated
  3. 3d agoSiYuanFirst v3.8.0 beta, notes identical to alpha.4
  4. 4d agoSiYuanFourth v3.8.0 alpha, notes identical to beta.1
  5. 5d agoSiYuanThird v3.8.0 alpha carries the database view work
  6. 6d agoSiYuanSecond v3.8.0 alpha, cumulative notes restated

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Keybase and SiYuan?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. SiYuan is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 1.3), 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 Keybase 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 1.3), 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 Keybase?

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