Trilium Notes is an open source personal knowledge base application that organizes notes in a hierarchical tree with rich text editing, code syntax highlighting, relation maps, and end-to-end encrypted sync between a self-hosted server and desktop clients.
The Problem
Notion stores all your notes on Atlassian-owned servers with no self-host option, and its export formats change in ways that make migration risky. Obsidian relies on flat markdown files with no built-in sync server for users who want server-side storage and client-side encryption. Knowledge workers who want a hierarchical, relational note system with search and sync under their control have limited options.
How Trilium Notes Solves It
Trilium Notes runs as a desktop Electron application or a self-hosted web server. Notes are stored in a SQLite database with hierarchical cloning (a note can appear in multiple locations) and bidirectional links between notes. The sync server handles encrypted sync between devices. Notes support rich text, code blocks, tables, mermaid diagrams, and embedded files. AGPL-3.0 licensed.
Key Features
- Hierarchical note tree with cloning: notes can appear in multiple places without duplication
- Rich note editor with markdown, code blocks, tables, mermaid diagrams, and file attachments
- Relation maps for visualizing connections between notes as a visual graph
- End-to-end encrypted sync between the self-hosted Trilium server and desktop clients
- Scripting API for automating notes and building custom views with JavaScript
- AGPL-3.0 licensed; runs as a desktop app or self-hosted web server
Who It's For
Trilium Notes is best for knowledge workers who manage deeply interconnected notes (researchers, writers, developers with personal wikis) who want a hierarchical, relational system with self-hosted encrypted sync rather than storing their thinking in Notion or Roam Research's cloud.
Compared to Notion
Unlike Notion, Trilium Notes stores all data on your own server or device with end-to-end encryption for sync. Notion has better collaboration features, a richer template ecosystem, and a more polished UI; Trilium Notes offers deeper hierarchical structure, a scripting API, and full data ownership that Notion cannot provide.
