nb Notes 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 | nb Notes | Trilium Notes Next |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 92 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,410 | ★ 2,926 |
| First released | 2019 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Notion | Evernote, OneNote, Notion |
What are nb Notes and Trilium Notes Next?
nb Notes
nb is a command-line and local web tool for plain-text note-taking, bookmarking, and archiving with Git-backed versioning and syncing. It works entirely in the terminal and supports encryption.
- Plain-text notes and bookmarks
- Git-backed sync
- Optional encryption
- Tagging and search
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
nb Notes vs Trilium Notes Next: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Trilium Notes Next's repository is archived and no longer developed, while nb Notes is actively maintained. Nb Notes is written in Shell, while Trilium Notes Next is built with TypeScript. Nb Notes is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Trilium Notes Next. Nb Notes is the more established project (first released 2019), while Trilium Notes Next arrived in 2024. Nb Notes has the considerably larger community, at 8,410 GitHub stars versus 2,926. Trilium Notes Next lists first-class Docker deployment; nb Notes does not.
Why pick each one
Choose nb Notes if…
- Powerful for terminal users
- Versioned with Git
Watch out for
- Command-line only
- No graphical client
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 nb Notes or Trilium Notes Next better?
nb Notes 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 nb Notes and Trilium Notes Next free and open-source?
Yes. nb Notes is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Trilium Notes Next under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run nb Notes and Trilium Notes Next with Docker?
nb Notes: check the project docs for container support. Trilium Notes Next: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, nb Notes or Trilium Notes Next?
nb Notes has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Trilium Notes Next. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.