AFFiNE vs Trilium Notes Next
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
AFFiNE
Workspace for docs, whiteboards and databases
VS
Trilium Notes Next
Archived
Hierarchical note-taking app for building knowledge bases
| Feature | AFFiNE | Trilium Notes Next |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 72,916 | ★ 2,926 |
| First released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Notion, Miro | Evernote, OneNote, Notion |
What are AFFiNE and Trilium Notes Next?
AFFiNE
AFFiNE is an open-source knowledge base that combines documents, whiteboards, and databases in a single workspace. It targets users wanting an all-in-one alternative to Notion and Miro. It is deployed via Docker.
- Docs, whiteboard and database in one
- Local-first data model
- Real-time collaboration
- Edgeless canvas mode
Trilium Notes Next
TriliumNext is the actively maintained community continuation of Trilium Notes, a hierarchical note-taking application for building large personal knowledge bases. It supports rich text, code notes, and scripting.
- Hierarchical note tree
- Rich text and code notes
- Scripting and automation
- Note encryption
AFFiNE vs Trilium Notes Next: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Trilium Notes Next's repository is archived and no longer developed, while AFFiNE is actively maintained. Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for AFFiNE versus AGPL-3.0 for Trilium Notes Next. Trilium Notes Next is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for AFFiNE. AFFiNE is the more established project (first released 2022), while Trilium Notes Next arrived in 2024. AFFiNE has the considerably larger community, at 72,916 GitHub stars versus 2,926.
Why pick each one
Choose AFFiNE if…
- Versatile workspace
- Local-first design
- Modern UI
Watch out for
- Self-hosting still maturing
- Resource intensive
Choose Trilium Notes Next if…
- Excellent for large knowledge bases
- Powerful and extensible
Watch out for
- Steeper learning curve
- Primarily single-user
Frequently asked questions
Is AFFiNE or Trilium Notes Next better?
Neither is universally better. AFFiNE has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are AFFiNE and Trilium Notes Next free and open-source?
Yes. AFFiNE is licensed under MIT and Trilium Notes Next under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AFFiNE and Trilium Notes Next with Docker?
AFFiNE: yes. Trilium Notes Next: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, AFFiNE or Trilium Notes Next?
Trilium Notes Next has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for AFFiNE. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.