TiddlyWiki vs Trilium Notes

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Trilium Notes

• Free$0

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