Notesnook vs Trilium Notes
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Notesnook
Private, end-to-end encrypted note-taking app
VS
Trilium Notes
Hierarchical note-taking for building knowledge bases
| Feature | Notesnook | Trilium Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,628 | ★ 37,958 |
| First released | 2021 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Evernote, OneNote, Notion | Evernote, Notion |
What are Notesnook and Trilium Notes?
Notesnook
Notesnook is an open-source, privacy-focused note-taking app with end-to-end encryption on all notes. Its sync server can be self-hosted so users keep complete control of their encrypted data.
- End-to-end encrypted notes
- Self-hostable sync server
- Rich text editor
- Cross-platform apps
Trilium Notes
Trilium Notes is a hierarchical note-taking application designed for building large personal knowledge bases with rich linking and scripting. It targets power users who want a structured second brain. It is deployed via Docker as a server with desktop and web clients.
- Deep hierarchical note tree
- Note attributes and relations
- Scripting and automation
- Encrypted protected notes
Notesnook vs Trilium Notes: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Notesnook versus AGPL-3.0 for Trilium Notes. Trilium Notes is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Notesnook. Trilium Notes is the more established project (first released 2017), while Notesnook arrived in 2021. Trilium Notes has the considerably larger community, at 37,958 GitHub stars versus 14,628.
Why pick each one
Choose Notesnook if…
- Strong privacy by default
- Polished apps on all platforms
Watch out for
- Self-hosting is relatively new
- Some features tied to subscription
Choose Trilium Notes if…
- Powerful for big knowledge bases
- Flexible structure
- Scriptable
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Single-user oriented
Frequently asked questions
Is Notesnook or Trilium Notes better?
Trilium Notes is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Notesnook if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Notesnook and Trilium Notes free and open-source?
Yes. Notesnook is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Trilium Notes under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Notesnook and Trilium Notes with Docker?
Notesnook: yes. Trilium Notes: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Notesnook or Trilium Notes?
Trilium Notes has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Notesnook. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.