Bangle.io vs TiddlyWiki
We give Bangle.io a 3.2 GPA and TiddlyWiki a 3.4, out of 4.0. Bangle.io grades higher on ease of use. TiddlyWiki grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
How we grade them
| 3.2GPABangle.ioVery good | 3.4GPATiddlyWikiVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under AGPL-3.0, with no paid plan. The FAQ says the core product is planned to stay free, though optional paid add-on services may be considered later to fund the work. | AFree and open source under the BSD 3-Clause licence, with no licence fee and no paid edition. Donations through Open Collective go to the community's infrastructure. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free with no account, at app.bangle.io or installed as a Progressive Web App. Nothing is held back, because there's nothing to upgrade to. | AThe full notebook is free as a single HTML file, in the TiddlyDesktop app or on a Node.js server. No account is needed and nothing is held back. |
| Features | BA rich-text editor that shows formatting as you write while the files stay Markdown, plus folders, backlinks, split screen and tabs. Good basics. But no sync or backup is built in, and the FAQ points you to git for versions. | ANotes are small linked units called tiddlers, joined by links and tags, with backlinks listed in each one's info panel. WikiText handles transclusions and macros, and filters build lists by tag or field. Official plugins add Markdown, KaTeX and CodeMirror. A single-file wiki can be saved with AES 256-bit encryption. |
| Ease of use | BWe have no store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. You open a web page, pick a folder and start writing. It works best in Chrome or Edge, and other browsers are steered to the installed version. | CNo rating on record, and there's a hurdle on day one. The browser's File / Save menu doesn't save your changes, so you first choose a saving method such as Tiddlyhost or TiddlyDesktop. Notes are in its own WikiText too, with Markdown only through a plugin. |
| Platforms and integrations | CIt's a web app and that's it. No native desktop or mobile apps, and the listing shows no integrations. The desktop option is installing the web app as a PWA so it gets its own window. | BIt opens in a web browser on Mac, Windows and Linux, and the Node.js server lets phones and tablets edit the wiki in a browser. The iOS and Android apps its docs point to, Quine and Tiddloid, are published independently of the project. No integrations are on record. |
| Best for | editing a folder of Markdown notes in the browser | a personal wiki kept in one file you control |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bangle.io and TiddlyWiki. How we grade
Where they differ
- Bangle.io is free. TiddlyWiki is free.
- Only TiddlyWiki lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- TiddlyWiki is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Bangle.io also covers Markdown.
- TiddlyWiki also covers wiki.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceWorks offlineNotesLinked notes
At a glance
| Bangle.io | TiddlyWiki | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free and open source under AGPL-3.0, with no sign-up. The FAQ says the core product is planned to stay free and that optional paid add-on services may be considered later. | Free and open source under the BSD 3-Clause license, with no license fee. The project collects donations through Open Collective for its community infrastructure. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Bangle.io | Jeremy Ruston and the TiddlyWiki community |
| Price read from | bangle.io | tiddlywiki.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Bangle.io
- Editing a folder of Markdown notes from the browser
- Writers who want rich-text editing with Markdown files on disk
- Trying a notes tool with no sign-up and nothing to install
TiddlyWiki
- People who want their notes in a file they fully control
- Tinkerers who customize a notebook with plugins, macros and filters
- Publishing a small wiki or documentation site as static HTML
Worth knowing
Bangle.io
- It works best in browsers with the File System Access API, such as Chrome or Edge; other browsers are steered toward the installed PWA.
- There are no native desktop or mobile apps. The desktop option is installing the web app as a Progressive Web App.
- No sync or backup is built in. The FAQ leaves backups to your own routine and recommends git for versioned ones.
- The FAQ says optional paid add-on services may be considered in future to fund development.
TiddlyWiki
- The browser's File / Save menu does not save changes; a saving method such as Tiddlyhost or TiddlyDesktop has to be chosen first.
- Notes are written in TiddlyWiki's own WikiText markup; Markdown is available only through an official plugin.
- The iOS and Android apps the documentation points to, Quine and Tiddloid, are published independently of the project.
- The Node.js server does not pick up tiddler files edited on disk while it runs; it has to be restarted.
Key features
Bangle.io
- Works on local Markdown files
- Notes are saved as plain Markdown files in a folder you pick on your computer, and the app reads and writes them there directly from the browser.
- WYSIWYG editor
- A rich-text interface in the style of Notion or Google Docs shows formatting as you write, while the files on disk stay in Markdown.
- Folders and backlinks
- Notes can be organized in folders, connected to one another with backlinks, or both.
- Offline web app
- Once loaded, the app keeps working without an internet connection, and installing it as a Progressive Web App gives a separate desktop-style window.
- Split screen and tabs
- Split-screen views and a multi-tab interface keep several notes open at the same time.
- No account, no tracking of notes
- There is nothing to sign up for or install. The privacy policy says no personal data is collected, with anonymous usage and diagnostic data going to Sentry and Cloudflare analytics.
TiddlyWiki
- Single-file notebook
- The whole wiki, content and code, lives in one HTML file that opens in a web browser with no install and no external dependencies.
- Tiddlers, links and tags
- Notes are small units called tiddlers, connected by links and tags. Each tiddler's info panel lists its backlinks and the tiddlers tagged with it.
- WikiText and filters
- WikiText covers formatting, links, transclusions and macros, and filters build lists of tiddlers by tag or field, such as a glossary.
- Plugins
- Optional plugins install from the official library or from community sites. The official set includes Markdown, KaTeX, CodeMirror and Highlight plugins.
- Built-in encryption
- A single-file wiki can be given a password and saved with AES 256-bit encryption, so the file asks for the password before showing any content.
- Node.js server edition
- Running on Node.js stores each tiddler as a separate file and lets any modern browser, including those on phones and tablets, edit the wiki.
Plans
Bangle.io
Bangle.io$0
The full web app at app.bangle.io, used in the browser or installed as a Progressive Web App. No account is needed.
TiddlyWiki
TiddlyWiki$0
The full notebook as a single HTML file, in the TiddlyDesktop app or on a Node.js server. No account is needed.
