Alternatives to TriliumNext Notes

A hierarchical note app where one note can live in several places at once, with a server you can host. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as TriliumNext Notes.

  • CherryTree

    A hierarchical notebook with rich text and syntax highlighting, storing everything in one file or a folder you control.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    CherryTree is also a free open source hierarchical notebook with rich text and code, storing data in one file, but has no macOS build and no built-in sync.

  • SiYuan

    A block-based notes workspace with Markdown that renders as you type, and an option to self-host it.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSSelf-hosted

    SiYuan offers block references and SQL queries with self-hosting and official Android and iOS apps, though official sync is a subscription.

  • Obsidian

    A notes app that works on a folder of plain Markdown files on your own disk, with links between them.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    Obsidian keeps notes as plain Markdown files readable without the app, with mobile apps and plugins, but is not open source and has no self-hosted server.

  • Logseq

    An outliner that stores notes as plain Markdown files, built around a daily journal and linked blocks.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    Logseq stores notes as plain Markdown files in an open source outliner with mobile apps, using block links instead of a note hierarchy.

  • Joplin

    An open source note and to-do app that syncs end-to-end encrypted through storage you already have.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    Joplin adds official mobile apps and end-to-end encrypted sync through existing storage, but lacks note cloning and a browser interface.

  • Anytype

    An encrypted, offline-first workspace for notes, tasks and databases that syncs peer to peer.

    FreemiumWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    Anytype offers typed objects, graph views and encrypted peer-to-peer sync with mobile apps, but it is source-available and still in beta.

  • AFFiNE Community

    Combine notes, tables and a drawing canvas in a local-first workspace.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxSelf-hostedWeb

    AFFiNE Community is an MIT-licensed local-first workspace combining notes, tables and a drawing canvas, with a self-hostable community edition.

  • SilverBullet

    Keep linked Markdown notes in a self-hosted browser workspace.

    FreeOpen sourceSelf-hostedWeb

    SilverBullet is a self-hosted browser workspace for linked Markdown notes with queries, storing plain Markdown but without desktop apps or note cloning.

Also worth comparing

These listings name TriliumNext Notes as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • flatnotes

    A self-hosted note-taking web app that stores every note as a Markdown file in one folder.

    FreeOpen sourceWebSelf-hosted

    TriliumNext Notes is an AGPL-licensed hierarchical note app with a self-hosted server and desktop clients, but notes live in a database rather than plain Markdown files.

  • Heptabase

    Visual note-taking app that organizes research as cards on whiteboards.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSWeb

    TriliumNext Notes is free and open source with canvases and relation maps inside a hierarchical, self-hostable note database, though its interface is dense and there is no official mobile app.

  • MindForger

    Organize Markdown notes in a personal knowledge workspace.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    TriliumNext Notes offers hierarchical notes with cloning and a self-hosted sync server, but stores notes in a database rather than plain Markdown files.

  • Nextcloud Notes

    A distraction-free Markdown notes app for Nextcloud that stores notes as files on your server.

    FreeOpen sourceWebSelf-hosted

    TriliumNext Notes offers a self-hosted server with sync, hierarchical notes and per-note encryption, but stores notes in a database rather than plain files.

  • Standard Notes

    Encrypted notes built for the long term, where sync is free on unlimited devices and you can host the server.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSWebSelf-hosted

    TriliumNext Notes is free with a self-hosted sync server and per-note encryption, but has no official mobile app and stores notes in a database.

  • TiddlyWiki

    A non-linear personal notebook that runs as a single self-contained HTML file in a browser.

    FreeOpen sourceWeb

    TriliumNext Notes is an open source hierarchical note app with a self-hosted sync server and note cloning, but it stores notes in a database rather than one portable file.

  • Tinderbox

    A Mac app for making, visualizing and analyzing notes, with map views and automation.

    PaidProprietarymacOS

    TriliumNext Notes is a free, open-source hierarchical note app with relation maps, canvases and a self-hostable server, running on Windows, macOS and Linux.

  • Zim

    A desktop wiki that keeps linked notes as plain text files in a folder structure.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    TriliumNext Notes is an AGPL hierarchical note app with a self-hosted sync server and note cloning, but stores notes in a database rather than plain files.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.