Compare / Tana vs SiYuan

Tana vs SiYuan

Tana is an AI-native outliner where “supertags” turn notes into structured, queryable objects; SiYuan is a free, open-source, block-based knowledge base with Notion-style databases and local storage. Here’s how they compare on pricing, platforms, linking, search, capture and collaboration — and how to decide between them.

What is Tana?

Tana’s big idea is the supertag: slap #meeting or #person on any outline node and it gains fields, views and behavior — your notes become a queryable database without leaving the outline. Live queries collect matching nodes anywhere in your workspace, which makes Tana feel like Roam and Notion fused together.

Since 2025 Tana has pivoted hard into being an “AI workspace”: a meeting agent that transcribes calls without a bot, voice capture that structures itself, semantic search, and full MCP support so AI assistants can work with your workspace on paid plans. Pricing reflects the AI ambition — a free tier with capped AI usage, Pro at $20/month (early-bird; $30 regular), and a $80+/month Max tier for heavy AI use. It’s cloud-based with web, desktop and capture-focused mobile apps.

What is SiYuan?

SiYuan packs a remarkable amount into an open-source (AGPL) package: block-level bidirectional links, WYSIWYG Markdown, Notion-like database and attribute views, spaced-repetition flashcards, a graph, PDF annotation and a plugin marketplace — all stored locally, with the option to self-host the whole thing in Docker. It’s free for personal and commercial use.

Sync is where money changes hands, modestly: a one-time PRO license (~$64) unlocks third-party S3/WebDAV sync, or you can subscribe to the official encrypted cloud service. The developer is China-based with a very active GitHub, and the app is fully usable in English. It’s single-player — no real-time collaboration — but as a personal all-in-one it rivals tools costing $100+/year.

Tana vs SiYuan at a glance

Pricing and features as of mid-2026 — check each product’s site for current details.

Where Tana shines

• Supertags are the most elegant structure system in the category — schema, views and queries grow naturally out of plain outlining.
• The AI feature set is the deepest here: botless meeting transcription, voice capture, agents, and semantic search.
• Full MCP support (on paid plans) makes it one of the few tools built for AI-assistant workflows.
• Real-time multiplayer workspaces work well for teams.

Worth knowing: It’s the most expensive tool in this comparison once you use it seriously — AI usage is metered, and Pro runs $20–30/month. Cloud-only and proprietary: no local files, no end-to-end encryption, and export is limited. The structure-first approach has a real learning curve; casual note-takers may find it over-engineered.

Where SiYuan shines

• An unusually complete free feature set: block refs, databases, flashcards, PDF annotation, graph — no plugins required.
• Open source (AGPL) with local-first storage and Docker self-hosting.
• Sync your own way — one-time license for S3/WebDAV, or the official encrypted cloud.
• Very active development with a plugin bazaar on top.

Worth knowing: No collaboration and no first-party hosted sharing beyond exports and self-hosting. The interface is denser and less polished than Western commercial rivals, and documentation can be rough in translation. Capture from the web, email or feeds isn’t a focus.

Which should you choose?

Choose Tana if:

• You want notes with fields, views and queries — a database that emerges from writing.
• Meeting transcription and voice capture are core to your workflow.
• You’ll actually use enough AI to justify the price.

Choose SiYuan if:

• You want maximum capability for minimum (or zero) money, as open source.
• Self-hosting on your own infrastructure appeals to you.
• You want Notion-style databases and flashcards in a local-first app.

A third option: Dexi

If what you actually want is one searchable place for notes, bookmarks, newsletters and RSS — with tags, @mentions and [[wiki links]] that organize themselves as you write, semantic search that finds ideas even when the words don’t match, and an MCP server so Claude and other AI assistants can work with your notes directly — take a look at Dexi. It’s free for up to 1,000 notes, with no app to install.

• Dexi vs Tana
• Dexi vs SiYuan

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