Coda
Docs, tables, and apps combined into one collaborative workspace
Trilium
Hierarchical note‑taking app for building massive personal knowledge bases
Trilium provides a deep tree‑structured, WYSIWYG editor with versioning, encryption, and sync, supporting code, diagrams, maps, and mind‑maps, available on desktop, web, Docker, and mobile.
Overview
Overview
Trilium is a cross‑platform note‑taking solution designed for users who need to organize large, interlinked knowledge bases. Its arbitrarily deep tree structure lets you place a single note in multiple locations, while a rich WYSIWYG editor supports markdown auto‑formatting, tables, images, math, and syntax‑highlighted code.
Capabilities & Deployment
Beyond basic note taking, Trilium offers per‑note encryption, seamless versioning, and visual tools such as Excalidraw canvases, mind maps, and geo‑maps. Synchronization works through a self‑hosted sync server (Docker image available) and a third‑party hosted service, with OpenID and TOTP for secure login. The application runs as a native Electron desktop client on Windows, macOS, and Linux, as a web interface on any modern browser, and via a mobile‑optimized web UI or the community‑maintained Android app. Extensive customization is possible through scripting, REST API, and user‑defined widgets or themes.
Highlights
Arbitrarily deep hierarchical tree with note cloning
Rich WYSIWYG editor with markdown autoformat, code highlighting, and embedded diagrams
Per‑note encryption and seamless versioning
Self‑hosted sync server, Docker support, and REST API
Pros
- Scales to 100 000+ notes without performance loss
- Cross‑platform desktop, web, and mobile access
- Extensive customization via scripts, widgets, and themes
- Strong security with OpenID, TOTP, and per‑note encryption
Considerations
- Self‑hosted sync setup can be complex for beginners
- Mobile experience limited to web UI unless using third‑party Android app
- Advanced features may require scripting knowledge
- Electron desktop builds can be resource‑heavy on low‑end hardware
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Trilium, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Researchers building interconnected literature databases
- Knowledge workers needing visual maps and code snippets
- Developers who want programmable note attributes
- Teams requiring private, encrypted shared knowledge
Not ideal when
- Casual users seeking simple plain‑text notes
- Organizations needing out‑of‑the‑box cloud SaaS
- Environments without ability to run Docker or Node
- Users requiring real‑time collaborative editing
How teams use it
Personal research repository
Store papers, annotations, and citation links in a searchable tree, with version history and encrypted storage.
Technical documentation hub
Maintain code snippets, API docs, and diagrams with syntax highlighting and automatic markdown formatting, accessible via web or desktop.
Project brainstorming board
Create mind maps and canvas sketches to visualize ideas, then link them to detailed notes for iterative development.
Field data collection
Capture geo‑tagged notes, GPX tracks, and photos on mobile, syncing to a central server for analysis.
Tech snapshot
TypeScript80%
HTML11%
CSS5%
JavaScript3%
EJS1%
Shell1%
Frequently asked questions
How do I sync notes across devices?
Run the self‑hosted sync server (Docker image available) or use the third‑party hosted service; all clients connect via the same sync version.
Is my data encrypted?
Yes, Trilium provides per‑note encryption and stores data securely on the server.
Can I import from Evernote or Markdown?
Trilium supports both Evernote and Markdown import and export.
What platforms are supported?
Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux), web browsers (Chrome, Firefox), Docker, and mobile via web UI or the community Android app.
How do I extend functionality with scripts?
Trilium includes a scripting engine; you can write JavaScript to create custom note attributes, widgets, and automation via the REST API.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 34,244
- Watchers
- 34,244
- Forks
- 2,268
LicenseAGPL-3.0
Repo age8 years old
Last commit14 hours ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageTypeScript
Last synced 10 hours ago