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.
7.6
Our score
7.6 / 10
Conversion Gems editorial verdict
Free (AGPL-3.0, no paid tiers)
Features8/10
8 - note cloning, many note types, OCR search, collections, scripting and REST API; no official mobile app.
Value10/10
10 - completely free under AGPL-3.0 with no paid tiers or paywalls.
Ease of use6/10
6 - the desktop app works offline right away, but sync means hosting a server.
Ecosystem6/10
6 - web clipper, REST API, MCP and Markdown, HTML, OPML and Evernote import; mobile depends on third-party apps.
Support6/10
6 - detailed docs plus GitHub Discussions, Matrix and Reddit; no official paid support.
What it really is
A free, open-source, single-user knowledge base app with a hierarchical note tree, run on desktop and synced through 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. 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 it
A deep, scriptable knowledge base that costs nothing and keeps your data under your control.
The catch
No official mobile app or cloud; sync needs your own server, and it is built for one user.
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
Friction report
Time to value
Minutes on desktop; an hour or more to set up a sync server.
Scale breakpoint
Needing phone access or sharing editable notes with others.
Walled garden
Low: open source with Markdown, HTML, OPML and PDF export.
What Trilium Notes costs
Part
Price
Notes
Desktop app (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Free
Works offline, no account needed
Self-hosted sync server
Free
Run it yourself, for example with Docker
Managed hosting
Set by the host
Third parties such as PikaPods; there is no official cloud
Mobile
Free
No 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 Notes
Obsidian
SiYuan
Core app price
Free
Free
Free
Official paid sync
None (self-host)
Sync, $4 per user a month billed annually
Paid sync options
Where notes live
SQLite database on your device or server
Stored locally on your device
Local JSON (.sy) files
From triliumnotes.org, obsidian.md/pricing and SiYuan's pricing page and GitHub, checked 4 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, completely. Trilium Notes is open source under AGPL-3.0 with no paid tiers, accounts or feature paywalls (checked 4 October 2026).
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).
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.
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.
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.
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:
Obsidian: Free local note app with optional paid Sync and Publish add-ons.
SiYuan: Open-source, local-first note app with block-level editing, databases and flashcards.
AppFlowy: Open-source workspace for docs and databases with a hosted cloud and team collaboration.
Zettlr: Free Markdown editor for researchers and writers, with citations and Zettelkasten links.
