The SilverBullet Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about SilverBullet in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
SilverBullet
The Insider’s Guide
Scriptable Markdown knowledge base, self-hosted or on desktop
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from SilverBullet’s own pages.
Made by Zef Hemel · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from SilverBullet’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on SilverBullet’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
SilverBullet is a Markdown knowledge management system created by Zef Hemel that keeps notes as plain files in a folder you control. Pages link to one another, can be queried like a database, and can be extended with Space Lua, a scripting language built into the notes. It runs as a free, open-source server used from any browser, or as a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux that is free for personal use and paid for work.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about SilverBullet, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There's no app-store phone app, so phones need a Server you run or rent, live sync is experimental, and Desktop isn't open source.
- 1
Best for Markdown notes you can query and script
SilverBullet keeps your notes as Markdown files in a folder you control, and lets you query them like a database and script them in Lua.
- 2
Paid plans start at $4.17 a month when paid by the year for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use).
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on 4 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 72 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of SilverBullet you could make: notes, Markdown, linked notes and wiki. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
SilverBullet at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux
- Made by
- Zef Hemel, since 2022
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for Markdown notes you can query and script
SilverBullet keeps your notes as Markdown files in a folder you control, and lets you query them like a database and script them in Lua. The Server is free and open source, and Desktop is free for personal use only, with work use at $50 a user a year. There's no app-store phone app, so phones need a Server you run or rent, live sync is experimental, and Desktop isn't open source.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | The Server is free outright and MIT-licensed for any number of users, and Desktop Personal is free too, against a $6 a month middle in this category. Work use of the desktop app needs Pro at $50 a user a year, about $4.17 a month, and hosting on PikaPods starts at $2. |
| Free plan and trial | A | You could stay free for good with no cap in sight. 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. |
| Features | C | A Markdown editor that renders as you type, wiki links with Linked Mentions, queries that update as notes change, Space Lua for your own commands, and a Server with accounts, roles and single sign-on. But its own features page marks live sync and the object graph experimental, and there's no phone app. |
| Ease of use | D | No rating on record, and you assemble this one. Using it in a browser or on a phone means running the Server as a container or a single binary, or renting one from PikaPods, and its commands and queries are things you write in Lua. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Any browser through the Server, plus desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux, with Git, Docker and PikaPods on the integration list. There's no app-store mobile app, though: phones open the Server in a browser and install it as a PWA. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who SilverBullet is for
- Fits if you want Markdown notes you can query like a database and script yourself
- Works for people who already self-host and want a personal or team wiki in one container
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a phone app from an app store, as phones only get the browser version as a PWA
- Not for you if you don't want to run a server or write Lua, because phones need a Server and commands are scripts
- Pricey if you use the desktop app at work, since that needs Pro at $50 a user a year
- Tight if you want every part open source, since only the Server is and the Desktop app isn't
- Watch out: the features page marks live sync, the Mention Inbox and the object graph as experimental
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$4.17
A month to start, paid by the year, for each person. There is a free plan too
SilverBullet has a free plan. Paid plans start at $50 per user / year (Desktop Pro, required for work use).
You could stay free for good with no cap in sight.
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.
The 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.
Read from silverbullet.md on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on silverbullet.md
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows and Linux
Scriptable Markdown knowledge base, self-hosted or on desktop. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, works offline, notes, Markdown, linked notes, wiki.
But its own features page marks live sync and the object graph experimental, and there's no phone app.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
What it works with
- Git
- Docker
- PikaPods
SilverBullet is made by Zef Hemel, and has been around since 2022.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
72/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
SilverBullet's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 34.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 100 of 147) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $4.17 a month when paid by the year for each person, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 27 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 39 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. SilverBullet’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 62 of 147
- AFree plan and trialAbove 100 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 147
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 86 of 147
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 103 note-taking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. SilverBullet is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of SilverBullet you could make: notes, Markdown, linked notes and wiki. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $50 a year. SilverBullet is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Notes, Markdown, linked notes and wiki: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on.
What this rests on. SilverBullet’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Obsidian, Logseq, Trilium Notes, TiddlyWiki and SiYuan
The 5 tools SilverBullet is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.6GPA
Obsidian
Free plan · from $4/mo
Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device.
- Only SilverBullet lists a web app.
- Only Obsidian lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Obsidian lists a browser extension.
- 3.0GPA
Logseq
Free plan · from $5/mo
Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files.
- Only Logseq lists iOS and Android apps.
- SilverBullet is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- SilverBullet also covers wiki.
- 3.0GPA
Trilium Notes
Free
Free, open-source hierarchical notes for a personal knowledge base.
- Only Trilium Notes lists a browser extension.
- SilverBullet also covers linked notes and wiki.
- Trilium Notes also covers web clipper.
- 2.8GPA
TiddlyWiki
Free
Open-source personal wiki kept in a single HTML file.
- SilverBullet also covers Markdown.
- 3.0GPA
SiYuan
Free plan · from $64 one-time
Open-source, local-first notes built on linked content blocks.
- Only SiYuan lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only SiYuan lists a browser extension.
- SiYuan is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is SilverBullet free?
SilverBullet has a free plan. SilverBullet Server is free and open source for any number of users.
How much does SilverBullet cost?
SilverBullet lists 4 plans. Server: $0.
What platforms does SilverBullet work on?
SilverBullet is available on Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does SilverBullet offer any discounts?
SilverBullet publicly lists the following: Desktop is free for use in education.
Does SilverBullet have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. SilverBullet is listed for Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Does SilverBullet have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. SilverBullet is listed for Web, macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is SilverBullet open source?
Yes. SilverBullet is open source, according to its own site.
Does SilverBullet work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
What does SilverBullet integrate with?
SilverBullet's listing names Git, Docker and PikaPods. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does SilverBullet have a student discount?
Desktop is free for use in education. SilverBullet Desktop is free for personal use and for use in education.
Who makes SilverBullet?
SilverBullet is made by Zef Hemel. It dates from 2022.
What are the alternatives to SilverBullet?
The closest alternatives to SilverBullet in our directory are Obsidian, Logseq, Trilium Notes, TiddlyWiki and SiYuan.
How does SilverBullet compare with other note-taking apps?
SilverBullet's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 34.
Is SilverBullet good value for money?
ToolGPA grades SilverBullet A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4.17 a month when paid by the year for each person, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 27 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of SilverBullet?
The plain part of SilverBullet you could make: notes, Markdown, linked notes and wiki.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from SilverBullet’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from SilverBullet's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-25.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Zef Hemel. Prices change, so check silverbullet.md before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- SilverBullet, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/silverbullet
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "SilverBullet: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/silverbullet
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/silverbullet/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after SilverBullet, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what SilverBullet’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. SilverBullet is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Zef Hemel. Prices and plans change: check silverbullet.md before you buy.