TriliumNext Notes
TriliumNext Notes is a free, open-source application for taking notes and organizing a personal knowledge base.
What TriliumNext Notes is
TriliumNext Notes is a free, open-source application for taking notes and organizing a personal knowledge base. Notes can sit in a hierarchy and appear in multiple places. Supported note types include text, Markdown, code, spreadsheets, canvas, Mermaid diagrams, mind maps, and files. Collections can display notes as calendars, tables, Kanban boards, geomaps, presentations, or dashboards. Full-text search can reach text inside images and PDFs through OCR. Trilium imports Markdown, HTML, and OPML, and exports notes in those formats. A self-hosted or cloud instance can synchronize notes across devices; mobile access is through a browser or installable PWA, as there is no official mobile app. JavaScript supports custom widgets and scheduled or event-driven scripts. Optional AI features are off by default and use the user's own provider and keys. Protected notes use AES-128 in CBC mode, but metadata and structure are not encrypted. It is designed for one user, without real-time shared editing. The AGPL-3.0 software is free with no paid tiers or accounts.
Good
- Notes can appear in multiple places in a hierarchy.
- Collections support calendars, tables, Kanban boards, and more.
- OCR can include image and PDF text in search.
- Imports and exports Markdown, HTML, and OPML.
Watch out
- There is no official mobile application.
- It does not support real-time multi-user editing.
- Note metadata and structure are not encrypted.
Who it suits
TriliumNext Notes suits individuals who want a flexible, self-hosted or cloud-synced personal knowledge base. It is less suited to teams needing real-time shared editing or users seeking an official mobile app.
Verdict
TriliumNext Notes offers broad organization and format options at no cost, with synchronization available through a self-hosted or cloud instance. Its single-user design and lack of an official mobile app are important limits to weigh.
Plans and prices
From TriliumNext Notes's own pricing page, checked 21 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Open-source software · No paid tiers · No account required |
| Free and open-source | Free | No paid tiers · no accounts · no feature paywalls |
The facts
Each one read from TriliumNext Notes's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- 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.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Automation
- JavaScript can run in the app or on the server, including custom widgets, scheduled scripts and event-driven scripts.checked 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.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Collections
- Collections can display the same notes as calendars, tables, Kanban boards, geomaps, presentations or dashboards.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Import/export
- Trilium can import Markdown, HTML and OPML and export notes as Markdown, HTML or OPML.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Integrations
- The product includes a browser web clipper, a built-in REST API and MCP support for external assistants.checked 30 Sep 2026
- License
- Trilium is free and open-source under the AGPL-3.0 license.checked 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.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Note formats
- Supported note types include text, Markdown, code, spreadsheets, canvas, Mermaid diagrams, mind maps and files.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Organization
- Notes can be arranged hierarchically, with notes allowed in multiple places in the hierarchy.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Trilium is an open-source application for note-taking and organizing a personal knowledge base.checked 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.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Search
- Full-text search can include text inside images and PDFs through OCR.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Security
- Protected notes are encrypted with AES-128 in CBC mode, while note metadata and structure are not encrypted.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Support
- Community support is available through GitHub Discussions, Matrix and GitHub issues, with documentation contributions also invited.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Synchronization
- A self-hosted or cloud instance can synchronize notes across multiple devices and provide mobile access through a PWA.checked 30 Sep 2026
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