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Comparison · Collab

SiYuan vs Typst

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

SiYuan vs Typst: at a glance

FeatureSiYuanTypst
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score5.02.5
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesnote-taking, knowledge base, ai agent, databasestypesetting, html-export, accessibility, pdf-standards
Last editorial update22h ago2mo ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

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 →

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 →

SiYuan vs Typst: editorial side-by-side

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.

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.

Alternatives to SiYuan and Typst

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 SiYuan or Typst.

See all SiYuan alternatives → · See all Typst alternatives →

Recent activity from SiYuan and Typst

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

  1. 1d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.9 RC1: AI agent extracts images from PDFs
  2. 1d 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. 2d agoSiYuanSiYuan 3.8.9 beta 4 improves LaTeX paste and import
  5. 2d 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. 3mo agoTypstVersion 0.15.1 (July 17, 2026)
  8. 4mo agoTypstTypst 0.15 adds MathML HTML export and multi-file bundles ⚡
  9. 4mo agoTypstVersion 0.15.0, Release Candidate 1 (June 9, 2026)
  10. 10mo agoTypstVersion 0.14.2 (December 12, 2025)
  11. 10mo agoTypstVersion 0.14.1 (December 3, 2025)
  12. 11mo agoTypstTypst 0.14 makes accessible, standards-conformant PDFs the default ⚡

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between SiYuan and Typst?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. SiYuan is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), 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 SiYuan better than Typst?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. SiYuan is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), 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 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.

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.