SilverBullet 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 | SilverBullet | Trilium Notes Next |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,142 | ★ 2,926 |
| First released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Notion, Obsidian | Evernote, OneNote, Notion |
What are SilverBullet and Trilium Notes Next?
SilverBullet
SilverBullet is an extensible, Markdown-based note-taking web app that you can run on your own server and access from any browser. It targets users who want a programmable personal knowledge tool. It is deployed via Docker or Deno.
- Markdown-based with live queries
- Extensible via Space Script
- Works offline as a PWA
- Plain file storage
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
SilverBullet vs Trilium Notes Next: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Trilium Notes Next's repository is archived and no longer developed, while SilverBullet is actively maintained. Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for SilverBullet versus AGPL-3.0 for Trilium Notes Next. SilverBullet is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Trilium Notes Next. SilverBullet is the more established project (first released 2022), while Trilium Notes Next arrived in 2024. SilverBullet has the considerably larger community, at 6,142 GitHub stars versus 2,926.
Why pick each one
Choose SilverBullet if…
- Highly hackable
- Lightweight
- Files stay portable
Watch out for
- Niche and DIY-oriented
- Smaller community
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 SilverBullet or Trilium Notes Next better?
SilverBullet 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 SilverBullet and Trilium Notes Next free and open-source?
Yes. SilverBullet is licensed under MIT and Trilium Notes Next under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SilverBullet and Trilium Notes Next with Docker?
SilverBullet: yes. Trilium Notes Next: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, SilverBullet or Trilium Notes Next?
SilverBullet has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Trilium Notes Next. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.