Standard Notes 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.
Not the right match-up?
Standard Notes
Encrypted notes app focused on longevity
VS
Trilium Notes
Hierarchical note-taking for building knowledge bases
| Feature | Standard Notes | Trilium Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 469 | ★ 37,298 |
| First released | 2017 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Evernote | Evernote, Notion |
Why pick each one
Choose Standard Notes if…
- Strong privacy focus
- Simple and durable
- Apps everywhere
Choose Trilium Notes if…
- Powerful for big knowledge bases
- Flexible structure
- Scriptable
Frequently asked questions
Is Standard Notes or Trilium Notes better?
Trilium Notes is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Standard Notes if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Standard Notes and Trilium Notes free and open-source?
Yes. Standard Notes 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 Standard Notes and Trilium Notes with Docker?
Standard Notes: yes. Trilium Notes: yes.