SilverBullet vs TiddlyWiki
We give SilverBullet and TiddlyWiki the same GPA: 3.4 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SilverBullet
Scriptable Markdown knowledge base, self-hosted or on desktop
Free plan · from $50/yr
How we grade them
| 3.4GPASilverBulletVery good | 3.4GPATiddlyWikiVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe Server is free and MIT-licensed for any number of users, and Desktop Personal is free too. Using the desktop app for work needs Pro at $50 per user a year, which is still under what note apps typically charge. Hosted on PikaPods, it starts at $2 a month. | 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 | AYou could stay free for good. The Server has no user limit, at home or at work, and Desktop Personal gives you unlimited spaces and sync with any Server. Only work use of the desktop app costs money. | 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 | AA Markdown editor that renders as you type, wiki links with Linked Mentions, queries that update as your notes change, and Space Lua for adding your own commands and widgets. The Server adds accounts, roles, comments and single sign-on. Live sync and the object graph are still marked experimental. | 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 | CNo rating on record. The desktop app opens any local folder, which is simple enough. But using it in a browser or on a phone means running the Server as a container or a binary, or renting one from PikaPods. And the clever parts are things you script. | 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 | BAny browser through the Server, plus desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux, and your notes can sit in a git repository. There's no app-store mobile app. Phones open the Server in a browser and can install it as a PWA. | 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 | Markdown notes you can query and script | 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: SilverBullet and TiddlyWiki. How we grade
Where they differ
- SilverBullet starts at $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use). TiddlyWiki is free.
- SilverBullet also covers Markdown.
In commonFree planWebmacOSWindowsLinuxOpen sourceSelf-hostableWorks offlineNotesLinked notesWiki
At a glance
| SilverBullet | TiddlyWiki | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use) | Free |
| Free plan | SilverBullet Server is free and open source for any number of users. Desktop Personal is free for personal use and education, with unlimited spaces and sync with any Server. | 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 | Zef Hemel | Jeremy Ruston and the TiddlyWiki community |
| Price read from | silverbullet.md | tiddlywiki.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
SilverBullet
- People who want Markdown notes they can query and script
- Self-hosters running a personal or team wiki from one container
- Developers keeping documentation in the same git repository as their code
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
SilverBullet
- Using the Desktop app at work requires Pro at $50 per user per year; only personal and education use is free.
- Desktop is not open source. The FAQ says only SilverBullet Server is, with the same editor and Space Lua in both.
- There is no app-store mobile app: phones open the Server in a browser and can install it as a PWA.
- The features page marks live sync, the Mention Inbox and the object graph as experimental.
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
SilverBullet
- Live Preview Markdown editor
- Plain Markdown is rendered as you type, including links, tasks, tables, code and widgets. Outlining, templates, slash commands, a daily journal and an optional Vim mode are included.
- Wiki links and Linked Mentions
- Double-bracket links connect pages, headings or positions, every page lists where it is mentioned, and a page or section can be embedded inside another.
- Live queries
- Notes can be queried like a database from inside a page, for example open tasks across projects or every page with a tag, and the results update as notes change.
- Space Lua scripting
- A Lua dialect built into the notes adds commands, widgets and automations with no build step, and CSS written in a page restyles the interface.
- Server for browsers and teams
- The Server runs as one container or a single binary and is used from any browser, with accounts and roles, comments, @-mentions, single sign-on and read-only publishing.
- Desktop app with sync
- Desktop opens any local folder as a space, binds system-wide shortcuts to commands, and syncs both ways with your own or a hosted SilverBullet Server.
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
SilverBullet
Server$0
The MIT-licensed server for any number of users, at home or at work, run on your own hardware and used from a browser.
Desktop Personal$0
The desktop app for personal use and education, with unlimited spaces and sync with any SilverBullet Server.
Desktop Pro$50
per user / year
Needed for work use. Adds Meta Space, the Edge release channel of nightly builds, and bulk seats that can be assigned to a team.
Cloud$2
per month and up, billed by PikaPods
SilverBullet Server hosted by PikaPods, an independent host, with one-click deployment and starting credit at sign-up.
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.
Ways to pay less
SilverBullet
- Education
Desktop is free for use in education
SilverBullet Desktop is free for personal use and for use in education. Only work use needs the Pro license at $50 per user per year.
TiddlyWiki
No public discounts listed.
