Anytype vs Trilium Notes
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Anytype
Local-first encrypted knowledge workspace
VS
Trilium Notes
Hierarchical note-taking for building knowledge bases
| Feature | Anytype | Trilium Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,846 | ★ 37,958 |
| First released | 2023 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Notion | Evernote, Notion |
What are Anytype and Trilium Notes?
Anytype
Anytype is a local-first, encrypted knowledge management app for notes, tasks, and objects with a flexible data model. It targets users wanting a private Notion-like tool. It uses peer-to-peer sync and an optional self-hosted sync node.
- Local-first encrypted storage
- Flexible object-based model
- Peer-to-peer sync
- Self-hostable sync node
Trilium Notes
Trilium Notes is a hierarchical note-taking application designed for building large personal knowledge bases with rich linking and scripting. It targets power users who want a structured second brain. It is deployed via Docker as a server with desktop and web clients.
- Deep hierarchical note tree
- Note attributes and relations
- Scripting and automation
- Encrypted protected notes
Anytype vs Trilium Notes: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Anytype versus AGPL-3.0 for Trilium Notes. Trilium Notes is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Anytype. Trilium Notes is the more established project (first released 2017), while Anytype arrived in 2023. Trilium Notes has the considerably larger community, at 37,958 GitHub stars versus 8,846.
Why pick each one
Choose Anytype if…
- Strong privacy model
- Flexible structure
- Works offline
Watch out for
- Self-hosting sync is advanced
- Ecosystem still young
Choose Trilium Notes if…
- Powerful for big knowledge bases
- Flexible structure
- Scriptable
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Single-user oriented
Frequently asked questions
Is Anytype or Trilium Notes better?
Trilium Notes is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Anytype if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Anytype and Trilium Notes free and open-source?
Yes. Anytype is licensed under MIT and Trilium Notes under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Anytype and Trilium Notes with Docker?
Anytype: yes. Trilium Notes: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Anytype or Trilium Notes?
Trilium Notes has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Anytype. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.