Quick Verdict

Overview

Feature Comparison

Installation Complexity

Community and Support

Use Cases

Choose Trilium If...

Choose Joplin If...

Final Verdict

Related Trilium is better for personal knowledge management — hierarchical notes, relation maps, note cloning, and built-in scripting make it a power tool for building interconnected knowledge bases. Joplin is better for straightforward note-taking with sync — Markdown notes, mobile apps, end-to-end encryption, and a familiar notebook/tag structure. TriliumNext Notes is a hierarchical note-taking app designed for knowledge management. Stores notes in SQLite with rich text, code blocks, relation maps, and a scripting engine. Syncs between server and desktop clients. Community fork of the original Trilium (now unmaintained). Joplin is a Markdown-based note-taking app with desktop and mobile clients. Supports notebooks, tags, to-do lists, and end-to-end encryption. Joplin Server provides self-hosted sync as an alternative to cloud services like Dropbox or OneDrive. Trilium is very simple — single Docker container with SQLite. No database server, no Redis. Start and go. Joplin Server requires PostgreSQL. Two containers (server + database). Default admin credentials, then create user accounts for each sync client. Trilium is simpler to deploy. Joplin Server has a more conventional but slightly heavier stack. Trilium is lighter because it uses embedded SQLite. Joplin Server's PostgreSQL adds overhead but enables better concurrent access for multi-user deployments. Trilium: The original project (~27,000 GitHub stars) is no longer maintained. TriliumNext (the community fork) has a growing community and active development. The transition introduces some uncertainty about long-term direction. Joplin: ~47,000 GitHub stars, active development by the original creator, strong community on the Joplin forum, and regular releases. More mature and stable project overall. Choose based on your use case. For a personal knowledge base where you build interconnected notes, tag with attributes, and visualize relationships, Trilium is more powerful. For day-to-day note-taking across multiple devices with great mobile apps and E2EE, Joplin is the more practical choice. Most people who just want "notes that sync" should start with Joplin. People who want a "second brain" with deep organizational features should try Trilium. Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. as well , this person and/or - You want a personal knowledge base with deep hierarchical organization

- Note cloning (same note in multiple locations) matters to you- You want visual relation maps between notes- Built-in scripting for custom workflows is valuable- You work primarily from desktop/web (no native mobile app)- You want the lightest possible deployment (single container, no database server) - You need native mobile apps (iOS and Android)- End-to-end encryption is a requirement- You prefer plain Markdown files- You want to sync across many devices (desktop + phone + tablet)- You need to-do list functionality- You want a mature, stable project with long-term maintenance confidence- Multiple family members or team members need separate accounts - How to Self-Host Trilium Notes- How to Self-Host Joplin Server- How to Self-Host BookStack- Best Self-Hosted Note Taking- Replace Evernote- Replace OneNote- Docker Compose Basics