Trilium Notes
Open-Source note-taking tool with hierarchical structure and self-hosting
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AGPL-3.0 v0.103.0 May 15, 2026
Since May 2017 779
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AI Summary
Trilium Notes is a comprehensive open-source application for creating and organizing notes in a personal knowledge database. The software offers hierarchical structures, various note types (text, code, canvas, mind maps), encryption of sensitive content, and synchronization via self-hosted servers. Particularly suitable for technically savvy users who value data control, flexibility, and advanced features like scripting and REST API.
✓ Pros
- + Fully open-source with self-hosting capability for maximum data control
- + Diverse note types: text, code, canvas, Mermaid diagrams, mind maps, Kanban
- + Advanced features like REST API, scripting and encrypted notes
- + Performant even with over 100,000 notes
✗ Cons
- − No official mobile app available (only PWA and unofficial Android app)
- − SQLite database instead of text files makes direct file access difficult
- − Sync can become problematic with very large files (>1GB)
Use Cases
- → Building a personal knowledge database with hierarchical organization
- → Managing code snippets and technical documentation with syntax highlighting
- → Creating diagrams, mind maps and canvas sketches for visual planning
- → Secure storage of sensitive information with password-protected encryption
- → Synchronizing notes across multiple devices via self-hosted server
- → Project and task management with Kanban boards and calendar function
Who is it for?
Ideal for developers, technically savvy users and power users looking for a flexible, extensible knowledge database with full control over their data.
