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TriliumNext Notes
What it is
TriliumNext Notes is a free, open-source application for taking notes and organizing a personal knowledge base. Its outliner structure arranges notes hierarchically while allowing one note to appear in multiple locations. Supported note types include text, Markdown, code, spreadsheets, canvas, Mermaid diagrams, mind maps, and files. Collections can present notes as calendars, tables, Kanban boards, geomaps, presentations, or dashboards. Full-text search can reach text inside images and PDFs through OCR. Trilium imports and exports Markdown, HTML, and OPML. A self-hosted or cloud instance synchronizes notes across devices, with mobile browser access through a PWA. JavaScript supports custom widgets and scheduled or event-driven scripts. AI features are optional, disabled by default, and use the provider and keys supplied by the user. Browser clipping, a REST API, and MCP support extend integrations. Protected notes use AES-128 in CBC mode, but metadata and structure are not encrypted. The AGPL-3.0 project has no paid tiers or account requirement.
For and against
For
- Free and open-source under AGPL-3.0
- Supports many note and collection formats
- Searches text inside images and PDFs
- Synchronizes through self-hosted or cloud instances
- Includes REST API and MCP support
Against
- No official mobile application
- Designed for single-user editing
- Metadata and structure are not encrypted
- Large files can cause synchronization failures
The verdict
TriliumNext Notes offers broad note formats, organization views, automation, and synchronization without paid tiers. Mobile use relies on a browser or PWA, and collaboration and encryption limits matter for some users.
Who it suits
TriliumNext Notes suits individuals building a structured personal knowledge base across desktop and web platforms. It fits users who want self-hosting, automation, import/export tools, and optional AI connections.
Plans and prices
Free
Open-source software · No paid tiers · No account required
Read 21 Sep 2026 · triliumnotes.org
Free and open-source
No paid tiers · no accounts · no feature paywalls
Read 30 Sep 2026 · triliumnotes.org
On the record
- AI
- AI features are opt-in and disabled by default, and can connect to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or a self-hosted OpenAI-compatible model using the user's own provider and keys.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Automation
- JavaScript can run in the app or on the server, including custom widgets, scheduled scripts and event-driven scripts.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Collaboration limit
- Trilium is designed as a single-user application and does not support real-time multi-user editing of the same notes.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Collections
- Collections can display the same notes as calendars, tables, Kanban boards, geomaps, presentations or dashboards.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Import/export
- Trilium can import Markdown, HTML and OPML and export notes as Markdown, HTML or OPML.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Integrations
- The product includes a browser web clipper, a built-in REST API and MCP support for external assistants.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- License
- Trilium is free and open-source under the AGPL-3.0 license.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Mobile availability
- There is currently no official mobile application; server instances can be accessed in a mobile browser and installed as a PWA.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Note formats
- Supported note types include text, Markdown, code, spreadsheets, canvas, Mermaid diagrams, mind maps and files.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Organization
- Notes can be arranged hierarchically, with notes allowed in multiple places in the hierarchy.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Trilium is an open-source application for note-taking and organizing a personal knowledge base.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Scale limit
- The application should handle at least 100,000 notes depending on usage, but synchronization can fail with many large files such as 1 GB files.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Search
- Full-text search can include text inside images and PDFs through OCR.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Security
- Protected notes are encrypted with AES-128 in CBC mode, while note metadata and structure are not encrypted.docs.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Support
- Community support is available through GitHub Discussions, Matrix and GitHub issues, with documentation contributions also invited.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
- Synchronization
- A self-hosted or cloud instance can synchronize notes across multiple devices and provide mobile access through a PWA.triliumnotes.org · read 30 Sep 2026
