Trilium Notes 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.
Trilium Notes
Hierarchical note-taking for building knowledge bases
VS
Trilium Notes Next
Archived
Hierarchical note-taking app for building knowledge bases
| Feature | Trilium Notes | Trilium Notes Next |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 99 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 37,958 | ★ 2,926 |
| First released | 2017 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Evernote, Notion | Evernote, OneNote, Notion |
What are Trilium Notes and Trilium Notes Next?
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
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
Trilium Notes vs Trilium Notes Next: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Trilium Notes Next's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Trilium Notes is actively maintained. Both projects are written in TypeScript. Trilium Notes is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Trilium Notes Next. Trilium Notes is the more established project (first released 2017), while Trilium Notes Next arrived in 2024. Trilium Notes has the considerably larger community, at 37,958 GitHub stars versus 2,926.
Why pick each one
Choose Trilium Notes if…
- Powerful for big knowledge bases
- Flexible structure
- Scriptable
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Single-user oriented
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 Trilium Notes or Trilium Notes Next better?
Trilium Notes 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 and Trilium Notes Next free and open-source?
Yes. Trilium Notes is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Trilium Notes Next under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Trilium Notes and Trilium Notes Next with Docker?
Trilium Notes: yes. Trilium Notes Next: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Trilium Notes or Trilium Notes Next?
Trilium Notes 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.