Top Related Projects
Build your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes
A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. Download link: http://github.com/logseq/logseq/releases. roadmap: http://trello.com/b/8txSM12G/roadmap
Community plugins list, theme list, and releases of Obsidian.
A personal knowledge management and sharing system for VSCode
The personal knowledge management (PKM) tool that grows as you do!
Think fearlessly with end-to-end encrypted notes and files. For issues, visit https://standardnotes.com/forum or https://standardnotes.com/help.
Quick Overview
Trilium Notes is an open-source, hierarchical note-taking application with a focus on building large personal knowledge bases. It offers a rich text editor, advanced organization features, and supports various note types including scripts and drawings. Trilium is available as a web application and a desktop app for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Pros
- Powerful hierarchical organization with attributes and relations
- Supports encryption for sensitive notes
- Offers both web and desktop versions for flexibility
- Extensive scripting capabilities for customization
Cons
- Steeper learning curve compared to simpler note-taking apps
- Self-hosted solution requires more setup and maintenance
- Sync between devices can be complex for non-technical users
- Limited mobile support (no native mobile apps)
Getting Started
- Download the latest release from the GitHub releases page.
- Extract the archive and run the appropriate executable for your platform.
- Open a web browser and navigate to
http://localhost:8080
. - Create a new account and start taking notes.
For the web version:
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/zadam/trilium.git
- Install dependencies:
npm install
- Build the frontend:
npm run webpack
- Run the application:
npm start
- Open
http://localhost:8080
in your web browser.
Competitor Comparisons
Build your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes
Pros of Trilium
- More active development and frequent updates
- Larger community and user base
- Better documentation and support resources
Cons of Trilium
- Potentially less stable due to frequent changes
- May have a steeper learning curve for new users
- Could be more resource-intensive due to additional features
Code Comparison
Trilium:
const Note = require('./note');
const NoteRevision = require('./note_revision');
const Branch = require('./branch');
const Attribute = require('./attribute');
const RecentNote = require('./recent_note');
TriliumNext/Trilium:
const Note = require('./note');
const NoteRevision = require('./note_revision');
const Branch = require('./branch');
const Attribute = require('./attribute');
const RecentNote = require('./recent_note');
The code comparison shows that both repositories have similar core structures and modules. This suggests that TriliumNext/Trilium may be a fork or alternative version of the main Trilium project. The similarities in code structure indicate that the fundamental architecture and design principles are likely shared between the two projects.
Given the limited information available about TriliumNext/Trilium, it's challenging to provide a more detailed comparison. The main Trilium project appears to be the primary and more actively maintained version, while TriliumNext/Trilium might be an experimental or alternative implementation with potentially different goals or features.
A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. Download link: http://github.com/logseq/logseq/releases. roadmap: http://trello.com/b/8txSM12G/roadmap
Pros of Logseq
- Open-source with a strong community-driven development approach
- Built-in support for graph visualization and bidirectional linking
- Offline-first architecture with local file storage
Cons of Logseq
- Less robust hierarchical note organization compared to Trilium
- Limited customization options for UI and theming
- Steeper learning curve for users new to outliner-style note-taking
Code Comparison
Logseq (ClojureScript):
(defn get-block-by-id
[id]
(when id
(db/entity [:block/uuid (uuid id)])))
Trilium (JavaScript):
function getNodeByKey(noteId) {
return utils.getNoteOrThrow(noteId);
}
Both projects use different programming languages, reflecting their architectural choices. Logseq's ClojureScript code showcases its functional programming approach, while Trilium's JavaScript demonstrates its more traditional object-oriented style.
Logseq focuses on block-based note-taking with a flat structure, whereas Trilium emphasizes hierarchical organization. This fundamental difference is reflected in their respective codebases and user interfaces.
Community plugins list, theme list, and releases of Obsidian.
Pros of Obsidian
- User-friendly interface with a gentle learning curve
- Extensive plugin ecosystem for customization
- Strong community support and active development
Cons of Obsidian
- Closed-source, limiting user control and modification
- Lack of built-in synchronization (requires paid service or third-party solutions)
Code Comparison
While both Trilium and Obsidian use different technologies, a direct code comparison isn't particularly relevant. Trilium is open-source and written primarily in JavaScript, while Obsidian is closed-source and uses Electron and TypeScript.
Trilium (JavaScript):
const Note = require('../../entities/note');
const noteService = require('../../services/notes');
const utils = require('../../services/utils');
Obsidian (TypeScript, based on plugin API):
import { App, Plugin, PluginSettingTab, Setting } from 'obsidian';
export default class MyPlugin extends Plugin {
onload() {
// Plugin initialization
}
}
Note that the Obsidian code example is based on its plugin API, as the core application code is not publicly available.
A personal knowledge management and sharing system for VSCode
Pros of Foam
- Built as a VS Code extension, leveraging a familiar and powerful editor
- Supports publishing notes as a static website
- Highly customizable with VS Code's extensive plugin ecosystem
Cons of Foam
- Steeper learning curve for users not familiar with VS Code
- Less integrated experience compared to Trilium's all-in-one solution
- Limited mobile support, primarily desktop-focused
Code Comparison
Foam (JavaScript):
export async function createNoteFromTemplate(
templatePath: string,
notePath: string,
substitutions: { [key: string]: string } = {}
): Promise<Uri> {
// ... implementation
}
Trilium (JavaScript):
async function createNote(parentNoteId, title, content, extraOptions = {}) {
const note = new Note(parentNoteId, title, content);
await note.save();
// ... additional processing
return note;
}
Both projects use JavaScript/TypeScript, but Foam's code is more focused on VS Code integration, while Trilium's code is part of a standalone application. Foam's approach allows for deeper integration with VS Code features, while Trilium offers a more self-contained note-taking experience.
The personal knowledge management (PKM) tool that grows as you do!
Pros of Dendron
- Built on VSCode, leveraging its powerful ecosystem and extensions
- Supports publishing notes as a static website
- Hierarchical note organization with flexible schemas
Cons of Dendron
- Steeper learning curve due to VSCode integration and schema concepts
- Less intuitive for users who prefer a standalone application
- Limited built-in visualization options compared to Trilium
Code Comparison
Dendron (JavaScript):
export function createNoteLink(note: NoteProps, alias?: string): string {
const fname = note.fname;
return alias ? `[[${fname}|${alias}]]` : `[[${fname}]]`;
}
Trilium (JavaScript):
function createNoteLink(noteId, noteTitle) {
return `[${noteTitle}](#root/${noteId})`;
}
Both projects use JavaScript, but Dendron's code shows TypeScript usage and a more complex link structure, while Trilium's approach is simpler and uses a different link format.
Dendron focuses on hierarchical note organization and integrates with VSCode, making it powerful but potentially more complex for some users. Trilium offers a standalone application with rich visualization features, which may be more intuitive for users seeking a dedicated note-taking tool. The choice between them depends on individual preferences for development environment, note organization, and desired features.
Think fearlessly with end-to-end encrypted notes and files. For issues, visit https://standardnotes.com/forum or https://standardnotes.com/help.
Pros of Standard Notes
- Cross-platform synchronization with end-to-end encryption
- Simple, clean interface focused on privacy and security
- Extensive plugin system for customization and extended functionality
Cons of Standard Notes
- Less robust organizational features compared to Trilium's hierarchical structure
- Limited offline functionality, especially on mobile devices
- Steeper learning curve for advanced features and customization
Code Comparison
Standard Notes (JavaScript):
export function generateUUID() {
return 'xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx'.replace(/[xy]/g, function(c) {
var r = Math.random() * 16 | 0, v = c == 'x' ? r : (r & 0x3 | 0x8);
return v.toString(16);
});
}
Trilium (JavaScript):
function generateEntityId() {
return utils.randomString(12);
}
Both projects use JavaScript for their core functionality. Standard Notes employs a more complex UUID generation method, while Trilium opts for a simpler random string approach. This reflects the overall design philosophy of each project, with Standard Notes focusing on robust, standardized methods and Trilium prioritizing simplicity and efficiency.
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Trilium Notes
English | Chinese | Russian | Japanese | Italian | Spanish
Trilium Notes is a free and open-source, cross-platform hierarchical note taking application with focus on building large personal knowledge bases.
See screenshots for quick overview:
ð Features
- Notes can be arranged into arbitrarily deep tree. Single note can be placed into multiple places in the tree (see cloning)
- Rich WYSIWYG note editor including e.g. tables, images and math with markdown autoformat
- Support for editing notes with source code, including syntax highlighting
- Fast and easy navigation between notes, full text search and note hoisting
- Seamless note versioning
- Note attributes can be used for note organization, querying and advanced scripting
- UI available in English, German, Spanish, French, Romanian, and Chinese (simplified and traditional)
- Direct OpenID and TOTP integration for more secure login
- Synchronization with self-hosted sync server
- Sharing (publishing) notes to public internet
- Strong note encryption with per-note granularity
- Sketching diagrams, based on Excalidraw (note type "canvas")
- Relation maps and link maps for visualizing notes and their relations
- Mind maps, based on Mind Elixir
- Geo maps with location pins and GPX tracks
- Scripting - see Advanced showcases
- REST API for automation
- Scales well in both usability and performance upwards of 100 000 notes
- Touch optimized mobile frontend for smartphones and tablets
- Built-in dark theme, support for user themes
- Evernote and Markdown import & export
- Web Clipper for easy saving of web content
- Customizable UI (sidebar buttons, user-defined widgets, ...)
- Metrics, along with a Grafana Dashboard
⨠Check out the following third-party resources/communities for more TriliumNext related goodies:
- awesome-trilium for 3rd party themes, scripts, plugins and more.
- TriliumRocks! for tutorials, guides, and much more.
â ï¸ Why TriliumNext?
The original Trilium project is in maintenance mode.
Migrating from Trilium?
There are no special migration steps to migrate from a zadam/Trilium instance to a TriliumNext/Notes instance. Simply install TriliumNext/Notes as usual and it will use your existing database.
Versions up to and including v0.90.4 are compatible with the latest zadam/trilium version of v0.63.7. Any later versions of TriliumNext have their sync versions incremented.
ð Documentation
We're currently in the progress of moving the documentation to in-app (hit the F1
key within Trilium). As a result, there may be some missing parts until we've completed the migration. If you'd prefer to navigate through the documentation within GitHub, you can navigate the User Guide documentation.
Below are some quick links for your convenience to navigate the documentation:
- Server installation
- Upgrading TriliumNext
- Concepts and Features - Note
- Patterns of personal knowledge base
Until we finish reorganizing the documentation, you may also want to browse the old documentation.
ð¬ Discuss with us
Feel free to join our official conversations. We would love to hear what features, suggestions, or issues you may have!
- Matrix (For synchronous discussions.)
- The
General
Matrix room is also bridged to XMPP
- The
- Github Discussions (For asynchronous discussions.)
- Github Issues (For bug reports and feature requests.)
ð Installation
Windows / MacOS
Download the binary release for your platform from the latest release page, unzip the package and run the trilium
executable.
Linux
If your distribution is listed in the table below, use your distribution's package.
You may also download the binary release for your platform from the latest release page, unzip the package and run the trilium
executable.
TriliumNext is also provided as a Flatpak, but not yet published on FlatHub.
Browser (any OS)
If you use a server installation (see below), you can directly access the web interface (which is almost identical to the desktop app).
Currently only the latest versions of Chrome & Firefox are supported (and tested).
Mobile
To use TriliumNext on a mobile device, you can use a mobile web browser to access the mobile interface of a server installation (see below).
If you prefer a native Android app, you can use TriliumDroid. Report bugs and missing features at their repository.
See issue https://github.com/TriliumNext/Notes/issues/72 for more information on mobile app support.
Server
To install TriliumNext on your own server (including via Docker from Dockerhub) follow the server installation docs.
ð» Contribute
Translations
If you are a native speaker, help us translate Trilium by heading over to our Weblate page.
Here's the language coverage we have so far:
Code
Download the repository, install dependencies using pnpm
and then run the server (available at http://localhost:8080):
git clone https://github.com/TriliumNext/Trilium.git
cd Trilium
pnpm install
pnpm run server:start
Documentation
Download the repository, install dependencies using pnpm
and then run the environment required to edit the documentation:
git clone https://github.com/TriliumNext/Trilium.git
cd Trilium
pnpm install
pnpm nx run edit-docs:edit-docs
Building the Executable
Download the repository, install dependencies using pnpm
and then build the desktop app for Windows:
git clone https://github.com/TriliumNext/Trilium.git
cd Trilium
pnpm install
pnpm nx --project=desktop electron-forge:make -- --arch=x64 --platform=win32
For more details, see the development docs.
Developer Documentation
Please view the documentation guide for details. If you have more questions, feel free to reach out via the links described in the "Discuss with us" section above.
ð Shoutouts
- CKEditor 5 - best WYSIWYG editor on the market, very interactive and listening team
- FancyTree - very feature rich tree library without real competition. Trilium Notes would not be the same without it.
- CodeMirror - code editor with support for huge amount of languages
- jsPlumb - visual connectivity library without competition. Used in relation maps and link maps
ð¤ Support
Support for the TriliumNext organization will be possible in the near future. For now, you can:
- Support continued development on TriliumNext by supporting our developers: eliandoran (See the repository insights for a full list)
- Show a token of gratitude to the original Trilium developer (zadam) via PayPal or Bitcoin (bitcoin:bc1qv3svjn40v89mnkre5vyvs2xw6y8phaltl385d2).
ð License
Copyright 2017-2025 zadam, Elian Doran, and other contributors
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
Top Related Projects
Build your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes
A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. Download link: http://github.com/logseq/logseq/releases. roadmap: http://trello.com/b/8txSM12G/roadmap
Community plugins list, theme list, and releases of Obsidian.
A personal knowledge management and sharing system for VSCode
The personal knowledge management (PKM) tool that grows as you do!
Think fearlessly with end-to-end encrypted notes and files. For issues, visit https://standardnotes.com/forum or https://standardnotes.com/help.
Convert
designs to code with AI
Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot