SilverBullet vs Trilium Notes

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Trilium Notes

• Free$0

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

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.

Trilium Notes

No public discounts listed.