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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.
Shared themes:self-hostedmcp
Memos vs SiYuan: at a glance
What is Memos?
Memos is turning a personal note store into an agent-addressable, private-by-default service
The release candidates in this window carry unusually heavy changes for a self-hosted note app: an embedded MCP endpoint exposing memo CRUD, comments, attachments and tags to AI clients; live updates over server-sent events; revocable share links; and a browser Web Clipper for saving pages and selections as Markdown. A parallel candidate makes instances without an explicit instance URL run in private mode and rewrites filters onto CEL timestamps.
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.
Memos vs SiYuan: editorial side-by-side
Memos
7.5COLLAB
Memos is turning a personal note store into an agent-addressable, private-by-default service
◆ Current state
The release candidates in this window carry unusually heavy changes for a self-hosted note app: an embedded MCP endpoint exposing memo CRUD, comments, attachments and tags to AI clients; live updates over server-sent events; revocable share links; and a browser Web Clipper for saving pages and selections as Markdown. A parallel candidate makes instances without an explicit instance URL run in private mode and rewrites filters onto CEL timestamps.
◆ Where it's heading
Two directions are converging. One is machine access — MCP moved from a stateful server with prompts and resources to a stateless, tools-only endpoint generated from the OpenAPI schema, which is a deliberate narrowing toward something agents can call reliably. The other is defaults that assume the instance is private until an admin says otherwise. Together they reposition Memos from a personal web app to a small API-shaped service with a human UI on top.
◆ Prediction
Expect the MCP surface to stabilise against the OpenAPI schema as the source of truth and the private-by-default posture to carry into a general release, with clients that relied on prompts, resources or unprefixed tool names needing to migrate.
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 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.
Read the Docs
Read the Docs is rebuilding its build farm around uv and isolated builders, one week at a time.
CommaFeed
CommaFeed is patching its way through the attack surface a self-hosted reader inherits
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.
See all Memos alternatives → · See all SiYuan alternatives →
Recent activity from Memos and SiYuan
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1d 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
- 23d agoMemosEmbedded MCP endpoint, live SSE updates, and revocable share links ⚡
- 29d agoMemosMemos Web Clipper and a redesigned memo detail rail
- 1mo agoMemosPrivate by default, CEL time filters, and a stateless MCP endpoint ⚡
- 4mo agoMemosMentions, voice recording, and Live Photo attachments
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Memos and SiYuan?
Both compete on the same themes — self-hosted, mcp — within Collab. Memos is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 vs 6.3), 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 Memos better than SiYuan?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Memos is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 vs 6.3), 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 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.