Trilium Notes Next vs Zettlr
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Trilium Notes Next | Zettlr |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 94 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,926 | ★ 13,577 |
| First released | 2024 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Evernote, OneNote, Notion | Notion, Obsidian |
What are Trilium Notes Next and Zettlr?
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
Zettlr
Zettlr is a desktop Markdown editor designed for academic writing and Zettelkasten note management, with citation support and internal linking. While desktop-first, it works on plain Markdown folders that can sync between machines.
- Zettelkasten linking
- Citation manager support
- Multi-format export
- Folder-based projects
Trilium Notes Next vs Zettlr: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Trilium Notes Next's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Zettlr is actively maintained. Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Trilium Notes Next versus GPL-3.0 for Zettlr. Zettlr is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Trilium Notes Next. Zettlr is the more established project (first released 2017), while Trilium Notes Next arrived in 2024. Zettlr has the considerably larger community, at 13,577 GitHub stars versus 2,926. Trilium Notes Next lists first-class Docker deployment; Zettlr does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Trilium Notes Next if…
- Excellent for large knowledge bases
- Powerful and extensible
Watch out for
- Steeper learning curve
- Primarily single-user
Choose Zettlr if…
- Strong academic features
- Plain Markdown files
Watch out for
- Desktop only
- No native sync server
Frequently asked questions
Is Trilium Notes Next or Zettlr better?
Zettlr 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 Trilium Notes Next and Zettlr free and open-source?
Yes. Trilium Notes Next is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zettlr under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Trilium Notes Next and Zettlr with Docker?
Trilium Notes Next: yes. Zettlr: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Trilium Notes Next or Zettlr?
Zettlr has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Trilium Notes Next. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.