At present, Notion is one of the most widely used tools among individuals and corporations, thanks to its multifunctional abilities. Not only can it be used as a simple note-taking tool, but it can also function as a personal knowledge management system, a database of company assets, and a portal to create and host landing pages. Of course, it can also be used for a myriad of personal tasks, such as planning a holiday or creating to-do lists. However, the primary concern with Notion is that it isn't open-source; you're relying on Notion's servers to sync your data. This isn't ideal if you plan on inputting sensitive data into the platform. Owing to this, I started hunting for an alternative that I could self-host -- even on my NAS.

There are several options available out there, including the most popular one -- Docmost. However, I was looking for something more along the lines of an exact replica of Notion in terms of the UI. Docmost -- while close in terms of functionality -- has a slightly different appearance. So, I decided to give SiYuan a shot. It's a privacy-first PKM system that resembles Notion in terms of appearance and features, but allows you to have full control over your data, thanks to the ability to self-host. I fired up Docker on my Synology NAS and switched entirely to SiYuan. Here's my experience.

Makes you feel right at home

No learning curve whatsoever

One look at SiYuan's interface, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. If you've used Notion extensively, switching to SiYuan will feel like you're using the same app -- at least for the most part. It uses the same color scheme, the same left-indented sidebar with nested folders, the same tabbed UI at the top to access multiple notes at once, etc. In fact, even the small icons to denote the different sections of notes look similar to Notion.

You can add bookmarks, view the outline of a document, and check your inbox using the sidebar. Then, there's the button for the graph view on the right that maps all your documents. The gist is that I did not have to spend more than a few minutes to familiarize myself with SiYuan's UI. It felt like I was running another instance of Notion with minor tweaks here and there. As I used the app more, I also felt that SiYuan ran smoother than the default Notion app on my Mac. Moreover, I've also tried self-hosting Obisdian, and that also didn't run as smoothly as SiYuan. So, it certainly feels like the developer has put in an effort to optimize the UI and make it more fluid.

Has all the features you've come to expect from Notion

From formatting to organization

Alright, the UI is similar. But, what about features? Well, I'm glad to report that you won't miss out on much if you decide to transition to SiYuan. There's a block-style editor in place with Markdown support. You can add mathematical formulas, all types of different charts, including Gantt charts, flowcharts, etc., and import data from databases. Of course, you can also export your documents to PDFs or Word files.

Then come all the bells and whistles in the form of AI integration with ChatGPT, plugins to extend functionality, themes to change the look of the app, etc. There's a dedicated marketplace just like Notion where you can download widgets and other elements to add to your documents, using which, you can create dashboards and make your notes look more presentable. Not to forget, SiYuan also has Android and iOS apps. However, you're then moving out of the self-hosted territory if you opt for those. Instead, you can access SiYuan using the browser on other devices if you've self-hosted it.

Smooth and secure

SiYuan is the perfect blend of a feature-rich interface that runs smoothly and a secure environment where you know your data is safe. Of course, self-hosting it on your NAS also means it runs without consuming too many resources, and you can access it from anywhere remotely -- without relying on third-party servers and cloud storage. Even if you don't have a NAS, you can host SiYuan on a Raspberry Pi or pretty much any machine that supports Docker, which makes it a must-have for anyone wanting to create a functional yet secure database or wiki. If you're willing to adapt to a slightly different UI, you can also try Docmost, as it offers a host of useful features.