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Comparison · Collab

Shiori vs SiYuan

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

Shared themes:self-hosted

Shiori vs SiYuan: at a glance

FeatureShioriSiYuan
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score0.06.3
Sparks · 30d01
Top themesbookmarks, self-hosted, api-first, golanglocal-first, knowledge-management, ai-agent, self-hosted
Last editorial update1mo ago4h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Shiori?

A Go bookmark manager rebuilding itself around an API — and only ever shipping release candidates.

Shiori is a self-hosted read-later and bookmark tool whose recent history is entirely release candidates: v1.7.0-rc.2, rc.3, v1.7.2-rc.1, v1.8.0-rc.1. The visible work has moved off the web UI and into an API v1 surface — tag endpoints, bookmark-tag association, filtering and counts — plus infrastructure like proxy-header authentication and SQLite performance. The last tagged release in this window is from July 2025.

Read the full Shiori trajectory →

What is SiYuan?

SiYuan v3.8.4 beta cycle adds agent-controlled database fields, MiniMax image gen, and skill file management

SiYuan is deep in the v3.8.4 pre-release cycle, now at beta.4, shipping a dense stream of enhancements across each daily build. The defining theme of this release cycle is agent-control expansion: the AI can now configure database fields, manage skill files, stream Markdown previews, and use custom AI provider headers — moving SiYuan from a tool where AI assists with writing to one where AI can reshape the workspace structure itself. Mobile UX and PDF annotation improvements are running in parallel.

Read the full SiYuan trajectory →

Shiori vs SiYuan: editorial side-by-side

S
Shiori
COLLAB
0.0

A Go bookmark manager rebuilding itself around an API — and only ever shipping release candidates.

◆ Current state

Shiori is a self-hosted read-later and bookmark tool whose recent history is entirely release candidates: v1.7.0-rc.2, rc.3, v1.7.2-rc.1, v1.8.0-rc.1. The visible work has moved off the web UI and into an API v1 surface — tag endpoints, bookmark-tag association, filtering and counts — plus infrastructure like proxy-header authentication and SQLite performance. The last tagged release in this window is from July 2025.

◆ Where it's heading

The project is converting from a web app with an API bolted on into an API-first service with a client, and the login component, PWA and theme work are being rewritten around that split. Proxy forward-header authentication in particular is a deployment-shape decision: it assumes Shiori sits behind an authenticating reverse proxy rather than owning identity itself. The RC-only tagging pattern makes it hard to tell what the maintainers consider stable.

◆ Prediction

The next step is presumably a final v1.8.0 consolidating the API v1 tag work, though nothing in these entries indicates the RC-to-stable promotion is scheduled. If the pattern holds, the following RC continues on API endpoints rather than the UI.

S
SiYuan
COLLAB
6.3

SiYuan v3.8.4 beta cycle adds agent-controlled database fields, MiniMax image gen, and skill file management

◆ Current state

SiYuan is deep in the v3.8.4 pre-release cycle, now at beta.4, shipping a dense stream of enhancements across each daily build. The defining theme of this release cycle is agent-control expansion: the AI can now configure database fields, manage skill files, stream Markdown previews, and use custom AI provider headers — moving SiYuan from a tool where AI assists with writing to one where AI can reshape the workspace structure itself. Mobile UX and PDF annotation improvements are running in parallel.

◆ Where it's heading

SiYuan is building toward an agent-orchestrated personal knowledge base, where the AI layer can modify not just content but the organizational schema. The skill file management system suggests an emerging plugin-like architecture for agent behaviors. As multimodal generation (MiniMax image support) gets wired in, SiYuan's trajectory is toward a locally-run AI workspace that rivals cloud-based tools without the data-residency trade-off.

◆ Prediction

v3.8.4 stable will ship soon given the move to beta.4. The agentic features (database field configuration, skill management) will attract integrations from local-first AI workflow builders. Expect MiniMax and other provider integrations to expand in the next cycle.

Alternatives to Shiori 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 Shiori or SiYuan.

See all Shiori alternatives → · See all SiYuan alternatives →

Recent activity from Shiori and SiYuan

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

  1. 7h agoSiYuanSiYuan v3.8.4-beta.4: agent workspace control and MiniMax image generation
  2. 1d agoSiYuanSiYuan v3.8.4-beta.3: streaming agent preview and MCP SQL fix
  3. 1d agoSiYuanSiYuan v3.8.4-beta.2: Docker fonts, custom block search
  4. 2d agoSiYuanSiYuan v3.8.4-beta.1: pinnable documents, rich text tables, remote GUI
  5. 2d agoSiYuanSiYuan v3.8.4-alpha.9: Serbian language, fullscreen agent dock
  6. 3d agoSiYuanSiYuan v3.8.4-alpha.8: document pinning, sync improvements
  7. 1y agoShioriAPI v1 gains tag endpoints, filtering and counts; proxy header auth
  8. 1y agoShioriSwagger UI disabled by default; session auth and Postgres fixes
  9. 2y agoShioriLight, dark and system theme selection in the web UI
  10. 2y agoShioriHome button clears the active search query

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Shiori and SiYuan?

Both compete on the same themes — self-hosted — within Collab. SiYuan is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 0.0), with 1 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 Shiori 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 1 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 Shiori?

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