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Comparison · Collab

Memos vs SiYuan

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

Memos vs SiYuan: at a glance

FeatureMemosSiYuan
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score3.85.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesself-hosted, collaboration, spaces, mcpnote-taking, knowledge base, ai agent, databases
Last editorial update1mo ago3h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Memos?

Memos adds collaborative Spaces without handing administrators the keys to everyone's notes.

Memos is a self-hosted memo archive that has spent three release candidates rebuilding its foundations rather than its surface. 0.27 embedded an MCP server in the instance, 0.30 flipped undeclared instances to private mode and regenerated that MCP surface from the OpenAPI schema, and 0.31.0-rc.1 now introduces first-class Spaces with ADMIN and USER memberships. The ownership model was rewritten alongside it: instance administrators are no longer implicit collaborators on other people's memos.

Read the full Memos trajectory →

What is SiYuan?

SiYuan 3.8.9 reaches RC, adding AI-agent extraction of images embedded in PDFs.

SiYuan moved 3.8.9 from beta.6 to rc.1 on Oct 28. The RC's only new item is AI-agent extraction of images embedded in PDFs; the rest of its long list matches beta.5's cumulative notes: pinned agent sessions, backlink filtering by database fields, block-reference collection through database automation, resizable table rows, mind-map themes and node copy/paste, TIFF previews and macOS proxy detection.

Read the full SiYuan trajectory →

Memos vs SiYuan: editorial side-by-side

M
Memos
COLLAB
3.8

Memos adds collaborative Spaces without handing administrators the keys to everyone's notes.

◆ Current state

Memos is a self-hosted memo archive that has spent three release candidates rebuilding its foundations rather than its surface. 0.27 embedded an MCP server in the instance, 0.30 flipped undeclared instances to private mode and regenerated that MCP surface from the OpenAPI schema, and 0.31.0-rc.1 now introduces first-class Spaces with ADMIN and USER memberships. The ownership model was rewritten alongside it: instance administrators are no longer implicit collaborators on other people's memos.

◆ Where it's heading

The direction runs from one person's notebook toward shared, agent-addressable infrastructure, and the order matters — access control and a stable API surface landed before multi-user sharing did. Each candidate has carried its breaking changes rather than deferring them: Shortcuts became Saved Views across the API, MCP tools and web routes, reactions lost content_id, S3 attachments stopped returning presigned URLs, and the Explore and per-user RSS feeds now return 404. Memos is willing to spend client compatibility to keep the data model coherent.

◆ Prediction

Expect 0.31 to reach a stable release with migration guidance for the Saved Views rename, and for Space scoping to extend next to the surfaces the notes say stay global — Archived, Inbox, profiles and Settings.

S
SiYuan
COLLAB
5.0

SiYuan 3.8.9 reaches RC, adding AI-agent extraction of images embedded in PDFs.

◆ Current state

SiYuan moved 3.8.9 from beta.6 to rc.1 on Oct 28. The RC's only new item is AI-agent extraction of images embedded in PDFs; the rest of its long list matches beta.5's cumulative notes: pinned agent sessions, backlink filtering by database fields, block-reference collection through database automation, resizable table rows, mind-map themes and node copy/paste, TIFF previews and macOS proxy detection.

◆ Where it's heading

The 3.8.x line keeps turning databases and mind maps into structured tools that act on the block graph, and the built-in agent is gaining reach into document content such as PDFs. The release cadence is fast and noisy, with most builds repeating the same cumulative notes.

◆ Prediction

A stable 3.8.9 is likely within days, with little added beyond fixes now that it has reached RC.

Alternatives to Memos 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 Memos or SiYuan.

See all Memos alternatives → · See all SiYuan alternatives →

Recent activity from Memos and SiYuan

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

  1. 8h agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.9 RC1: AI agent extracts images from PDFs
  2. 14h agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.9 beta 6 (same notes as beta 5)
  3. 1d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.9 beta 5: full notes incl. pinned agent sessions
  4. 1d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.9 beta 4 improves LaTeX paste and import
  5. 1d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.9 beta 3 (same notes as beta 1)
  6. 2d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.9 beta 2 (same notes as beta 1)
  7. 1mo agoMemosCollaborative Spaces, author-owned memos, and Saved Views ⚡
  8. 3mo agoMemosEmbedded MCP endpoint, live SSE updates, and revocable share links ⚡
  9. 3mo agoMemosMemos Web Clipper and a redesigned memo detail rail
  10. 3mo agoMemosPrivate by default, CEL time filters, and a stateless MCP endpoint ⚡
  11. 6mo agoMemosMentions, voice recording, and Live Photo attachments

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Memos and SiYuan?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. SiYuan is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 3.8), 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 Memos better than SiYuan?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. SiYuan is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 3.8), 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 Memos?

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