Laverna 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 | Laverna | Trilium Notes Next |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 24 · At risk | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,171 | ★ 2,926 |
| First released | 2014 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Simplenote | Evernote, OneNote, Notion |
What are Laverna and Trilium Notes Next?
Laverna
Laverna is an open-source, web-based note-taking application with Markdown support and client-side encryption. It can store notes locally or sync via Dropbox or remoteStorage and can be self-hosted as a static app.
- Client-side encryption
- Markdown editor
- Offline support
- Static self-hosted app
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
Laverna vs Trilium Notes Next: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Trilium Notes Next's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Laverna is actively maintained. Laverna is written in JavaScript, while Trilium Notes Next is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Laverna versus AGPL-3.0 for Trilium Notes Next. Laverna is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Trilium Notes Next. Laverna is the more established project (first released 2014), while Trilium Notes Next arrived in 2024. Laverna has the considerably larger community, at 9,171 GitHub stars versus 2,926. Trilium Notes Next lists first-class Docker deployment; Laverna does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Laverna if…
- Strong privacy focus
- No backend required
Watch out for
- Development has stalled
- Aging codebase
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 Laverna or Trilium Notes Next better?
Laverna is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Trilium Notes Next if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Laverna and Trilium Notes Next free and open-source?
Yes. Laverna is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Trilium Notes Next under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Laverna and Trilium Notes Next with Docker?
Laverna: check the project docs for container support. Trilium Notes Next: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Laverna or Trilium Notes Next?
Laverna 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.