CommaFeed
CommaFeed is patching its way through the attack surface a self-hosted reader inherits
Comparison · Collab
BookStack vs SiYuan
A side-by-side editorial comparison of BookStack and SiYuan — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:self-hosted
BookStack vs SiYuan: at a glance
What is BookStack?
BookStack's release stream is mostly security patches with feature drops in between.
Four of BookStack's last six releases are security releases. The newest closes five separate issues at once: external authentication could match the wrong user where IDs differ only by casing or accents, the login form leaked user existence through timing, exported content could load interactive content over file links, API errors exposed debug detail by default, and the default PDF renderer could probe files on the host. The one feature release, v26.05, added a page contents view in the editor, tag browsing API endpoints, a dedicated revision-viewing permission, in-UI MFA reset and new image and CSP controls.
What is SiYuan?
SiYuan stabilises 3.8.1 after a seven-build beta run, all of it widening the agent surface it opened in 3.8.0
SiYuan has just cut 3.8.1 stable, the endpoint of a beta chain that ran six builds in five days. The release groups into three areas: AI integration work - custom editor actions syncing across devices, an Agent panel shortcut, user-level skills read from a shared agents directory, nested rerank API formats and OpenAI Responses API support; editing and database throughput, including virtualised grouped-table rendering and faster document loading; and cross-platform reliability covering HEIF/HEIC previews, PDF export and mobile behaviour. A batch of MCP and publishing-service fixes rounds it out.
BookStack vs SiYuan: editorial side-by-side
BookStack
5.0COLLAB
BookStack's release stream is mostly security patches with feature drops in between.
◆ Current state
Four of BookStack's last six releases are security releases. The newest closes five separate issues at once: external authentication could match the wrong user where IDs differ only by casing or accents, the login form leaked user existence through timing, exported content could load interactive content over file links, API errors exposed debug detail by default, and the default PDF renderer could probe files on the host. The one feature release, v26.05, added a page contents view in the editor, tag browsing API endpoints, a dedicated revision-viewing permission, in-UI MFA reset and new image and CSP controls.
◆ Where it's heading
Cadence is set by responsible disclosures — a named researcher credited in nearly every patch — and the feature work leans the same way, toward finer permissions and content security controls. For a self-hosted wiki that users routinely expose publicly, hardening is the roadmap, with quarterly feature releases sitting between patch runs.
◆ Prediction
Expect another patch on the 26.05 line next. The permission and CSP work visible in v26.05 is the thread the following minor most plausibly continues, though the entries give no signal on timing.
SiYuan
6.3COLLAB
SiYuan stabilises 3.8.1 after a seven-build beta run, all of it widening the agent surface it opened in 3.8.0
◆ Current state
SiYuan has just cut 3.8.1 stable, the endpoint of a beta chain that ran six builds in five days. The release groups into three areas: AI integration work - custom editor actions syncing across devices, an Agent panel shortcut, user-level skills read from a shared agents directory, nested rerank API formats and OpenAI Responses API support; editing and database throughput, including virtualised grouped-table rendering and faster document loading; and cross-platform reliability covering HEIF/HEIC previews, PDF export and mobile behaviour. A batch of MCP and publishing-service fixes rounds it out.
◆ Where it's heading
This is consolidation of the surface 3.8.0 opened, not an extension of it. The agent, semantic search and MCP endpoint arrived in the 3.8.0 line; 3.8.1 makes them portable and pluggable - skills come from a directory the user controls, editor actions follow the user between devices, and the provider layer now speaks the OpenAI Responses API rather than one bespoke shape. The high beta count against a modest final diff shows a project stabilising a young subsystem rather than building a new one.
◆ Prediction
The next line most likely pushes on the skills directory - discovery, sharing or marketplace distribution of user-level skills - since that is the piece 3.8.1 made user-editable without giving it a distribution path.
Alternatives to BookStack 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 BookStack or SiYuan.
Hive
Hive ships in batches, and this one is all planning accuracy and admin control.
Teable
Teable ships daily, and the work has moved from grid features to platform governance.
Simpplr
Simpplr publishes the research that names the gap, then ships the product that closes it.
NetNewsWire
NetNewsWire's 7.1.3 train has moved from rebuilding sync to sweeping up what the rebuild disturbed.
Document360
Document360 rebuilt its API for agents; now it's turning the AI inward on authoring.
See all BookStack alternatives → · See all SiYuan alternatives →
Recent activity from BookStack and SiYuan
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 22h agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.1 stabilises the agent, skills and Responses API work
- 2d agoSiYuanSlash menu items become configurable; table column widths distribute evenly
- 2d agoSiYuanTable headers left-align by default; double-click closes tabs
- 3d agoSiYuanUser-level agent skills and virtualized grouped-table rendering
- 3d agoSiYuanAI features move to the OpenAI Responses API
- 4d agoSiYuanAgent panel gains a shortcut; blockquote input fixed
- 21d agoBookStackSecurity release fixes five issues including auth matching
- 1mo agoBookStackURL filtering, redirects and permission checks hardened
- 2mo agoBookStackAttachment metadata leak and file:// export risk closed
- 2mo agoBookStackv26.05 adds page contents view, tag API and revision permissions
- 2mo agoBookStackRate limiting added to MFA verification routes
- 3mo agoBookStackAttachment permission and webhook URL validation fixes
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BookStack and SiYuan?
Both compete on the same themes — self-hosted — within Collab. SiYuan is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), 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 BookStack 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 5.0), 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 BookStack?
Top BookStack alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "BookStack alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/bookstack 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.