Trilium Notes review (2026): is it any good?
Open-source hierarchical note-taking and personal knowledge base
Trilium Notes report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a free note tree you keep on your own machine
Trilium Notes is a free, open source note app with a tree where one note can live in several places, and desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux. But syncing needs a server you host yourself, and phone use is through a web app on that server.
Who Trilium Notes is for
- Fits if you want your notes on your own computer with no account
- Works for people who like organising notes in a tree rather than folders
Who Trilium Notes is not for
- Skip it if you want native iPhone or Android apps, as phones use a web app on a server
- Tight if you want sync without running a server, since the paid host listed is third-party
- Not for you if you want a team wiki with shared editing, as the listing describes a personal notes app
- Watch out: the old TriliumNext docs repository is archived and the project now lives at triliumnotes.org
Why Trilium Notes gets a 3.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree under the AGPL-3.0 license, and you can just download the desktop apps and use them, so it is under the category's cheapest quarter.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright with no account and no paid plan from the team.
- CFeaturesNote tree, many note types, search, a REST API, scripting and a web clipper. The listing shows a gap: syncing across devices needs a self-hosted server.
- BEase of useNo store rating on record, but you install a desktop app and start writing with nothing to set up.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWindows, Mac and Linux apps plus a web app for phones, and a REST API. No native phone apps.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Trilium Notes's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/triliumnext#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/triliumnext.svg" alt="Trilium Notes: 3.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Trilium Notes stands among docs and wiki tools
Trilium Notes's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 81 of the 86 other docs and wiki tools we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 61 of 86) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Trilium Notes has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 87 docs and wiki tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Trilium Notes’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 60 of 86, level with 26
- AFree plan and trialAbove 61 of 86, level with 25
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 86, level with 51
- BEase of useAbove 65 of 86, level with 20
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 of 86, level with 54
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 79 docs and wiki tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Trilium Notes, or make your own?
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 3.2 is higher than 81 of the 86 other docs and wiki tools we grade.
What you could make
- Notes, wiki 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, Docker, PikaPods and OpenID Connect among them, and has an API.
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.
What is Trilium Notes?
Trilium Notes (TriliumNext) is an open-source app for organizing notes in a tree where one note can sit in several places. It runs as a desktop app or on a self-hosted server that syncs across devices. It is AGPL-3.0 licensed and needs no account.
Worth knowing
- The download page offers Windows, Linux and macOS desktop apps; phone access is through a web app (PWA) on a server.
- Syncing needs a self-hosted server; the paid host listed is third-party, not affiliated with the team.
- The roster's TriliumNext docs repo is archived; the project now lives at triliumnotes.org.
Key features
- Note tree
- Notes nest as sub-notes with no folders, and a note can be cloned into several places.
- Many note types
- Text, Markdown, code, spreadsheet, canvas, Mermaid, mind map and file notes.
- Sync and sharing
- A self-hosted or cloud server syncs notes, and a subtree can be published as a public read-only site.
- Search and protection
- Fuzzy title navigation, full-text search including text in images and PDFs via OCR, and password-locked protected notes.
- REST API and scripting
- A built-in REST API and scripting for automation.
- Web clipper
- A browser extension saves pages and screenshots into Trilium.
Trilium Notes pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Trilium Notes is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 license, with no account needed.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | $0 | Desktop apps and a self-hostable server, free; third-party paid hosting is available on PikaPods. |
Read from triliumnotes.org on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Trilium Notes before you buy.
Works with
- Docker
- PikaPods
- OpenID Connect
Trilium Notes alternatives
- Trilium Notes vs Docmost
Free plan · from $6/mo
- Trilium Notes vs BookStack
Free plan · from £450/yr
Common questions
Does Trilium Notes have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Trilium Notes is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does Trilium Notes have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Trilium Notes is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is Trilium Notes open source?
Yes. Trilium Notes is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
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.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.