Outline Desktop 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?
Outline Desktop
Markdown wiki and knowledge base for teams
VS
TriliumNext Notes
Cross-platform hierarchical note taking application with focus on
| Feature | Outline Desktop | TriliumNext Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,228 | ★ 37,298 |
| First released | 2021 | 2026 |
| Replaces | Notion, Obsidian | — |
Why pick each one
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 Outline Desktop or TriliumNext Notes better?
Neither is universally better. TriliumNext Notes has the larger community, while Outline Desktop is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Outline Desktop and TriliumNext Notes free and open-source?
Yes. Outline Desktop is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and TriliumNext Notes under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Outline Desktop and TriliumNext Notes with Docker?
Outline Desktop: yes. TriliumNext Notes: yes.