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Typst vs SiYuan

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

Typst vs SiYuan: at a glance

FeatureTypstSiYuan
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score2.56.3
Sparks · 30d01
Top themestypesetting, html-export, accessibility, pdf-standardslocal-first, knowledge-management, ai-agent, self-hosted
Last editorial update1mo ago4h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Typst?

Typst keeps widening past PDF — first accessibility, now HTML, MathML and multi-file output

Typst reached 0.15 in June, adding variable font support, MathML-backed HTML equation export, multiple bibliographies per document, simultaneous PDF standard targeting, and an experimental bundle export target that lets one project emit multiple files. The 0.14 line before it made accessible PDFs the default and covered the full PDF/A range. Patch releases since have been font and math regression fixes.

Read the full Typst 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 →

Typst vs SiYuan: editorial side-by-side

T
Typst
COLLAB
2.5

Typst keeps widening past PDF — first accessibility, now HTML, MathML and multi-file output

◆ Current state

Typst reached 0.15 in June, adding variable font support, MathML-backed HTML equation export, multiple bibliographies per document, simultaneous PDF standard targeting, and an experimental bundle export target that lets one project emit multiple files. The 0.14 line before it made accessible PDFs the default and covered the full PDF/A range. Patch releases since have been font and math regression fixes.

◆ Where it's heading

The through-line across both majors is output surface. Typst started as a typesetting system that produced a PDF; it now produces conformant, accessible, standard-tagged PDFs and is building a credible HTML path with real equation rendering and multi-page bundling. Each major has picked one output format and made it a first-class target rather than an export afterthought.

◆ Prediction

The bundle target is flagged experimental, so the next cycle most likely stabilises it and extends HTML export coverage rather than opening a third output format.

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 Typst 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 Typst or SiYuan.

See all Typst alternatives → · See all SiYuan alternatives →

Recent activity from Typst 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. 2mo agoTypstVersion 0.15.1 (July 17, 2026)
  8. 3mo agoTypstTypst 0.15 adds MathML HTML export and multi-file bundles
  9. 3mo agoTypstVersion 0.15.0, Release Candidate 1 (June 9, 2026)
  10. 9mo agoTypstVersion 0.14.2 (December 12, 2025)
  11. 9mo agoTypstVersion 0.14.1 (December 3, 2025)
  12. 10mo agoTypstTypst 0.14 makes accessible, standards-conformant PDFs the default

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Typst and SiYuan?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. SiYuan is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 2.5), 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 Typst 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 2.5), 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 Typst?

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