Mark Text vs TriliumNext Notes
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Mark Text
Real-time preview Markdown editor for the desktop
VS
TriliumNext Notes
Cross-platform hierarchical note taking application with focus on
| Feature | Mark Text | TriliumNext Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 59,781 | ★ 37,298 |
| First released | 2017 | 2026 |
| Replaces | Typora | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Mark Text if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 59.8k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Choose TriliumNext Notes if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 37.3k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Mark Text or TriliumNext Notes better?
Mark Text is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider TriliumNext Notes if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mark Text and TriliumNext Notes free and open-source?
Yes. Mark Text is licensed under MIT and TriliumNext Notes under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mark Text and TriliumNext Notes with Docker?
Mark Text: check the project docs for container support. TriliumNext Notes: yes.