SilverBullet 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 | SilverBullet | Trilium Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,142 | ★ 37,958 |
| First released | 2022 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Notion, Obsidian | Evernote, Notion |
What are SilverBullet and Trilium Notes?
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
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
SilverBullet vs Trilium Notes: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for SilverBullet versus AGPL-3.0 for Trilium Notes. SilverBullet is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Trilium Notes. Trilium Notes is the more established project (first released 2017), while SilverBullet arrived in 2022. Trilium Notes has the considerably larger community, at 37,958 GitHub stars versus 6,142.
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 if…
- Powerful for big knowledge bases
- Flexible structure
- Scriptable
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Single-user oriented
Frequently asked questions
Is SilverBullet 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 SilverBullet and Trilium Notes free and open-source?
Yes. SilverBullet is licensed under MIT and Trilium Notes under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SilverBullet and Trilium Notes with Docker?
SilverBullet: yes. Trilium Notes: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, SilverBullet or Trilium Notes?
SilverBullet has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Trilium Notes. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.