Jotty vs Trilium Notes

Jotty

• Self-hosters who want notes and checklists in one app
• Households or small groups sharing lists on their own server
• People who want their data as Markdown files, not in a database

Trilium Notes

• People building a large personal knowledge base on a desktop computer
• Self-hosters who want sync on a server they control
• Tinkerers who want to script and extend their notes app

Jotty

• It has to be self-hosted: Docker Compose is the recommended route, with a Proxmox script and an Unraid template as alternatives.
• There is no native app. The PWA caches pages already visited, but creating or editing items offline is not supported.
• The developer advises backing up the data folder before every feature update, since those can change data structures.
• The MCP server for AI clients is a separate container that has to be run alongside Jotty.

Trilium Notes

• There is no official mobile app; phones reach a self-hosted server through the browser or an installed PWA.
• There is no official hosted version, so syncing devices means running your own server or paying a third-party host such as PikaPods.
• It is designed for a single user: real-time editing of the same notes by several people is not supported.
• Notes are kept in an SQLite database rather than plain-text files, and are not encrypted unless marked as protected.

Jotty

Checklists and task projects

Simple checklists have progress bars, nested categories, drag and drop and bulk add. Task projects add Kanban boards with custom statuses, a time tracker and a calendar view for due dates.

Rich-text notes in Markdown

A WYSIWYG editor built on TipTap saves GitHub Flavored Markdown, with code highlighting, callouts, diagrams, tags and a switch to the Markdown source.

File-based storage

Checklists and notes are Markdown files and users and settings are JSON, all in one data folder with no database. Backing up an instance means copying that folder.

Links and the brain view

Wikilinks and @mentions connect notes and checklists in both directions. A 2D or 3D map shows how items connect and suggests links that have not been made.

Note encryption

Any note can be encrypted with a passphrase using XChaCha20-Poly1305 or with PGP keys, and the file stays encrypted on disk until you choose to decrypt it.

Sharing, sign-in and API

Items can be shared with other users on the instance or by public link, with OIDC, LDAP and MFA sign-in. A REST API and an optional MCP server allow automation.

Trilium Notes

Hierarchical notes

Notes nest inside other notes instead of folders, and a single note can appear in several places in the tree. Labels and relations add structure.

Many note types

Rich text, Markdown, code, spreadsheet, canvas, Mermaid diagram, mind map and file notes can be mixed freely in the same tree.

Collections

Display a group of notes as a calendar, table, kanban board, map, presentation or dashboard, and switch between layouts at any time.

Sync through your own server

A self-hosted server syncs notes across devices, gives access from a browser and can publish a subtree of notes as a read-only website.

Scripting and REST API

JavaScript runs in the app or on the server to add widgets and automate work, and a built-in REST API reads, creates and updates notes over HTTP.

Protected notes and revisions

Selected notes can be encrypted behind a password-protected session, and periodic background revisions let you review or undo changes.

Jotty

• Jotty$0

  The full app as a single Docker image, with a Proxmox community script and an Unraid template as other ways to install it.

Trilium Notes

• Free$0

  Every feature of the desktop apps and the self-hosted server, including sync, scripting and the REST API.