The Trilium Notes Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Trilium Notes 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.
Trilium Notes
The Insider’s Guide
Free, open-source hierarchical notes for a personal knowledge base
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from Trilium Notes’s own pages.
Made by Elian Doran and the community · checked Oct 5, 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 Trilium Notes’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Trilium Notes’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 107 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
Trilium Notes is a free, open-source app for building a personal knowledge base out of notes arranged in a tree. It runs as a desktop app on Windows, macOS and Linux without an account, and an optional self-hosted server adds sync between devices and access from a browser. Notes can be rich text, Markdown, code, spreadsheets, diagrams or mind maps, and the app can be scripted in JavaScript.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Trilium Notes, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for a big personal knowledge base you host yourself
Trilium Notes is a free, open-source app for a personal knowledge base where notes nest in a tree that can hold text, Markdown, code, spreadsheets, diagrams and mind maps.
- 2
It is free
Trilium Notes has no paid plan at all. Entirely free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 license, with no paid tiers, accounts or feature paywalls. The project accepts donations.
- 3
It runs on 4 platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux and Web, with a browser extension too.
- 4
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.
- 5
Many note types
Rich text, Markdown, code, spreadsheet, canvas, Mermaid diagram, mind map and file notes can be mixed freely in the same tree.
- 6
Collections
Display a group of notes as a calendar, table, kanban board, map, presentation or dashboard, and switch between layouts at any time.
- 7
A 3.0 GPA, above 107 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Trilium Notes is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Trilium Notes at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, Browser extension
- Made by
- Elian Doran and the community
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for a big personal knowledge base you host yourself
Trilium Notes is a free, open-source app for a personal knowledge base where notes nest in a tree that can hold text, Markdown, code, spreadsheets, diagrams and mind maps. There's no hosted sync or official phone app, so a second device means running your own server or paying a host like PikaPods, it's for one user only, and notes sit in an SQLite database, unencrypted unless marked protected.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Entirely free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence, where the middle of this category wants $6 a month. No paid tiers, no accounts and no feature paywalls, just a donations page. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Every feature is free, in the desktop apps and the self-hosted server alike, including sync, scripting and the REST API. Nothing is held back for a paid edition. |
| Features | C | Notes nest, one note can sit in several places, and a note can be rich text, Markdown, code, a spreadsheet, a canvas, a diagram or a mind map, shown as calendars, tables or boards. Its own pages name two holes in the basics: no hosted sync, only a server you run, and no editing the same notes together. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. On one computer there's no account to make, since the desktop app runs without one, but the tree plus labels plus relations is a system you learn, and getting your notes onto a second device means standing up a server or paying a host like PikaPods. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux, a browser extension, browser access through your own server and a REST API on top. No official mobile app, so phones get at it through the browser or an installed 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 Trilium Notes is for
- Fits if you're building a large personal knowledge base on a desktop computer
- Works for people who already self-host and want sync on a server they control
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a phone app, as there's no official one, only the browser or a PWA from your own server
- Not for you if several people need to edit the same notes at once, because it's designed for a single user
- Tight if you want plain text files, since notes are kept in an SQLite database
- Watch out: syncing a second device means running your own server or paying a third-party host such as PikaPods
- Watch out: notes aren't encrypted unless you mark them as protected
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Trilium Notes is free to use.
No paid tiers, no accounts and no feature paywalls, just a donations page.
Free
$0
Every feature of the desktop apps and the self-hosted server, including sync, scripting and the REST API.
The free plan
Entirely free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 license, with no paid tiers, accounts or feature paywalls. The project accepts donations.
Read from triliumnotes.org on Oct 5, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux and Browser extension
Free, open-source hierarchical notes for a personal knowledge base. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, works offline, public API, notes, Markdown, web clipper.
Its own pages name two holes in the basics: no hosted sync, only a server you run, and no editing the same notes together.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- Browser extension
What it works with
- OpenAI
- Anthropic
Trilium Notes is made by Elian Doran and the community.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
107/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
Trilium Notes's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 107 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 100 of 147) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Trilium Notes has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Trilium Notes’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 62 of 147
- AFree plan and trialAbove 100 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- CEase of useAbove 5 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. Trilium Notes 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
Trilium Notes is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 107 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade.
What you could make
- Notes, Markdown and web clipper: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, OpenAI and Anthropic among them, and has an API.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
What this rests on. Trilium Notes’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, Joplin, Logseq, SiYuan and TiddlyWiki
The 5 tools Trilium Notes 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 Trilium Notes lists a web app.
- Only Obsidian lists iOS and Android apps.
- Trilium Notes is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.6GPA
Joplin
Free plan · from €2.40/mo
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose.
- Only Joplin lists iOS and Android apps.
- Joplin is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
Logseq
Free plan · from $5/mo
Open-source outliner for linked notes stored as local files.
- Only Trilium Notes lists a browser extension.
- Only Logseq lists iOS and Android apps.
- Trilium Notes is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 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.
- SiYuan is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Trilium Notes also covers Markdown and web clipper.
- 2.8GPA
TiddlyWiki
Free
Open-source personal wiki kept in a single HTML file.
- Only Trilium Notes lists a browser extension.
- Trilium Notes also covers Markdown and web clipper.
- TiddlyWiki also covers linked notes and wiki.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
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 Trilium Notes free?
Yes. Trilium Notes is free to use.
How much does Trilium Notes cost?
Trilium Notes lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Trilium Notes work on?
Trilium Notes is available on Windows, macOS, Linux and Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does Trilium Notes have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Trilium Notes is listed for Windows, macOS, Linux and Web.
Does Trilium Notes have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Trilium Notes is listed for Windows, macOS, Linux and Web.
Is Trilium Notes open source?
Yes. Trilium Notes is open source, according to its own site.
Does Trilium Notes 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.
Does Trilium Notes have an API?
Yes. Trilium Notes offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Trilium Notes integrate with?
Trilium Notes's listing names OpenAI and Anthropic. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Trilium Notes?
Trilium Notes is made by Elian Doran and the community.
What are the alternatives to Trilium Notes?
The closest alternatives to Trilium Notes in our directory are Obsidian, Joplin, Logseq, SiYuan and TiddlyWiki.
How does Trilium Notes compare with other note-taking apps?
Trilium Notes's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 107 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 21.
Is Trilium Notes good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Trilium Notes A for value for money. Trilium Notes has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Trilium Notes?
Trilium Notes is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Trilium Notes’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Trilium Notes' own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-29.
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 Elian Doran and the community. Prices change, so check triliumnotes.org 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
- Trilium Notes, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/trilium-notes
- 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, "Trilium Notes: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/trilium-notes
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/trilium-notes/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after Trilium Notes, 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 Trilium Notes’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. Trilium Notes is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Elian Doran and the community. Prices and plans change: check triliumnotes.org before you buy.