# TiddlyWiki

> Open-source personal wiki kept in a single HTML file

TiddlyWiki is an open-source notebook that keeps its content and its code together in one HTML file, which opens in a web browser without an install. Notes are small linked units called tiddlers, written in its own WikiText markup and organized with links, tags and filters. It can also run as a Node.js server that stores each tiddler as a separate file, and plugins extend it.

- **Category:** Note-Taking Apps
- **Made by:** Jeremy Ruston and the TiddlyWiki community (since 2004)
- **Website:** https://tiddlywiki.com
- **Runs on:** Web, macOS, Windows, Linux
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 6, 2026

## Pricing

TiddlyWiki is free to use.

- **Pricing model:** Free
- **Free plan:** 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.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TiddlyWiki | $0 | The full notebook as a single HTML file, in the TiddlyDesktop app or on a Node.js server. No account is needed. |

Read from https://tiddlywiki.com/static/License.html on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with TiddlyWiki before buying.

## Key features

- **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.

## Good for

- 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

- 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.

**Tags:** Open source, Self-hostable, Works offline, Notes, Wiki, Linked notes

## Alternatives

- [Zim](https://toolgpa.com/tools/zim): Desktop wiki that keeps linked pages as plain text files. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/tiddlywiki-vs-zim)
- [Trilium Notes](https://toolgpa.com/tools/trilium-notes): Free, open-source hierarchical notes for a personal knowledge base. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/tiddlywiki-vs-trilium-notes)
- [SilverBullet](https://toolgpa.com/tools/silverbullet): Scriptable Markdown knowledge base, self-hosted or on desktop. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/silverbullet-vs-tiddlywiki)
- [Obsidian](https://toolgpa.com/tools/obsidian): Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/obsidian-vs-tiddlywiki)
- [DokuWiki](https://toolgpa.com/tools/dokuwiki): Open-source wiki software that needs no database. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/dokuwiki-vs-tiddlywiki)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026:

- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/License.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/HelloThere.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/GettingStarted.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/TiddlyWiki.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/Funding%2520TiddlyWiki.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/TiddlyDesktop.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/TiddlyWiki%2520on%2520Node.js.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/Saving%2520on%2520iPad%252FiPhone.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/Saving%2520on%2520Android.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/Encryption.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/OfficialPlugins.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/InfoPanel.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/Tagging.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/Markdown.html
- https://tiddlywiki.com/static/History%2520of%2520TiddlyWiki.html

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/tiddlywiki
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).