Reor 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.
Trilium Notes
Hierarchical note-taking for building knowledge bases
| Feature | Reor | Trilium Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 99 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,551 | ★ 37,958 |
| First released | 2024 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Notion | Evernote, Notion |
What are Reor and Trilium Notes?
Reor
Reor is an open-source, private, local-first AI note-taking application. It automatically links related notes, runs AI models locally, and stores everything as plain Markdown files on your machine.
- Local AI models
- Automatic note linking
- Plain Markdown storage
- Semantic search
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
Reor vs Trilium Notes: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Reor's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Trilium Notes is actively maintained. Reor is written in JavaScript, while Trilium Notes is built with TypeScript. Trilium Notes is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Reor. Trilium Notes is the more established project (first released 2017), while Reor arrived in 2024. Trilium Notes has the considerably larger community, at 37,958 GitHub stars versus 8,551. Trilium Notes lists first-class Docker deployment; Reor does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Reor if…
- AI features without sending data away
- Notes stay as portable files
Watch out for
- AI features need more RAM
- Younger project
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 Reor or Trilium Notes better?
Neither is universally better. Trilium Notes has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Reor and Trilium Notes free and open-source?
Yes. Reor is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Trilium Notes under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Reor and Trilium Notes with Docker?
Reor: check the project docs for container support. Trilium Notes: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Reor or Trilium Notes?
Trilium Notes has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Reor. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.