BatNoter 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.
| Feature | BatNoter | Trilium Notes Next |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 18 · At risk | 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 | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,421 | ★ 2,926 |
| First released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Standard Notes, Evernote | Evernote, OneNote, Notion |
What are BatNoter and Trilium Notes Next?
BatNoter
BatNoter is an open-source, Markdown-based note-taking web application that stores all notes in a user's own Git repository. It provides an editor with preview and keeps notes versioned and portable.
- Notes stored in your Git repo
- Markdown editor with preview
- Versioned, portable notes
- Self-hosted backend
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
BatNoter vs Trilium Notes Next: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Trilium Notes Next's repository is archived and no longer developed, while BatNoter is actively maintained. Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for BatNoter versus AGPL-3.0 for Trilium Notes Next. BatNoter is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Trilium Notes Next. BatNoter is the more established project (first released 2022), while Trilium Notes Next arrived in 2024.
Why pick each one
Choose BatNoter if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
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 BatNoter or Trilium Notes Next better?
Neither is universally better. Trilium Notes Next has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are BatNoter and Trilium Notes Next free and open-source?
Yes. BatNoter is licensed under MIT and Trilium Notes Next under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BatNoter and Trilium Notes Next with Docker?
BatNoter: yes. Trilium Notes Next: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, BatNoter or Trilium Notes Next?
BatNoter has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Trilium Notes Next. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.