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Trilium Notes

Free, open-source note-taking app for building a large personal knowledge base in a tree of notes, used on desktop or synced via your own server.

Our take: Trilium is one of the most capable free note apps for people who think in trees and like to script their tools.

Best forSelf-hosted knowledge bases
ReviewedPricing: Free
7.6 out of 105 criteria · see breakdown
Try TriliumFree (AGPL-3.0, no paid tiers)

Trilium Notes is a free, open-source note-taking app for building a large personal knowledge base in a tree of notes, aimed at technical users who want their data under their own control. It costs nothing (AGPL-3.0, no paid tiers); syncing across devices means running your own server or paying a third-party host.

Trilium is now developed by the TriliumNext community

The original developer, zadam, built Trilium from 2017 and later handed the repository to the community project TriliumNext. The community, with Elian Doran as main developer, now releases the app as Trilium Notes at triliumnotes.org.

Old installs can move over without special steps. Versions up to v0.90.4 still sync with the last zadam release, v0.63.7; later versions do not.

Checked October 4, 2026
The bottom line

Excellent and free for a solo, self-hosted knowledge base; weak for mobile-first or team use.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isA free, open-source, single-user knowledge base app with a hierarchical note tree, run on desktop and synced through your own server.
Our takeTrilium is one of the most capable free note apps for people who think in trees and like to script their tools.
Cloning, OCR search, many note types and a REST API go well beyond a basic notebook, and there is no paywall anywhere. The trade-offs are practical: no official mobile app, no hosted cloud, a single-user design and notes kept in SQLite rather than Markdown files. If you are happy running a Docker container, those costs are small.
Why we rate itA deep, scriptable knowledge base that costs nothing and keeps your data under your control.
The catchNo official mobile app or cloud; sync needs your own server, and it is built for one user.

Best / not good for

Best for
  • Personal knowledge bases and wikis
  • Self-hosters and developers
  • Offline-first note-taking
Not good for
  • Real-time team collaboration
  • Mobile-first note-takers
Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

  1. Time to value
    Minutes on desktop; an hour or more to set up a sync server.
  2. Scale breakpoint
    Needing phone access or sharing editable notes with others.
  3. Walled garden
    Low: open source with Markdown, HTML, OPML and PDF export.
Still a fit?
If none of these block you, start on the free plan.
Try Trilium

What Trilium Notes costs

PartPriceNotes
Desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux)FreeWorks offline, no account needed
Self-hosted sync serverFreeRun it yourself, for example with Docker
Managed hostingSet by the hostThird parties such as PikaPods; there is no official cloud
MobileFreeNo official app: use the server's mobile web interface or unofficial apps

From Trilium's website FAQ and GitHub README, checked 4 October 2026.

Trilium Notes vs Obsidian and SiYuan

Trilium NotesObsidianSiYuan
Core app priceFreeFreeFree
Official paid syncNone (self-host)Sync, $4 per user a month billed annuallyPaid sync options
Where notes liveSQLite database on your device or serverStored locally on your deviceLocal JSON (.sy) files

From triliumnotes.org, obsidian.md/pricing and SiYuan's pricing page and GitHub, checked 4 October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Trilium free?

Yes, completely. Trilium Notes is open source under AGPL-3.0 with no paid tiers, accounts or feature paywalls (checked 4 October 2026).

How much does Trilium Notes cost per month?

Nothing. The app has no subscription. The only possible cost is hosting a sync server: you can run your own, or pay a third-party host such as PikaPods. Those prices are set by the host, not by Trilium (checked 4 October 2026).

What is TriliumNext?

TriliumNext is the community project that took over Trilium after the original developer, zadam, handed over the repository. It now develops the app under the name Trilium Notes at triliumnotes.org.

What are the differences between Trilium and TriliumNext?

They are the same app at different stages. The original zadam/trilium releases ended at v0.63.7; TriliumNext continued development from there. Versions up to v0.90.4 can still sync with v0.63.7, and moving from an old install needs no special migration steps.

Does Trilium use Markdown?

Partly. Text notes use a visual editor that accepts Markdown-style formatting, there is a dedicated Markdown note type, and you can import and export Markdown. Notes are stored in a SQLite database, not as plain .md files.

Is Trilium safe?

Your notes stay on your own devices or server, and AI features are off by default. Notes are not encrypted by default; notes you mark as protected are encrypted with AES-128-CBC behind a password, and the server supports TOTP and OpenID Connect sign-in.

Trilium Notes alternatives

Other note and knowledge base apps from our reviews:

Showing 1–3 of 4
Sources checked October 4, 2026: Trilium Notes website and FAQ, Trilium on GitHub, Trilium documentation.

Conversion Gems independently reviews every tool.

Tags

#TriliumNotes#NoteTaking#SelfHosted#OpenSource

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