Home /
Alternatives to Obsidian /
Obsidian vs Trilium Notes
Obsidian vs Trilium Notes
A side-by-side look at Obsidian (the paid SaaS) and Trilium Notes (the open source alternative). Use this page to decide if the switch fits your team and workflow.
| Obsidian | Trilium Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Local-first markdown knowledge base (closed source, free for personal use). | Hierarchical personal notes with scripting. |
| License | Proprietary SaaS | AGPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Free for personal use; Sync $5/month. | Free to self-host |
| Self-host option | No | Yes — difficulty 2/5 |
| Hosted cloud available | Yes (only option) | No |
| Desktop apps | Varies by product | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Mobile apps | Official apps typically available | None official |
Ad slot — between tables
Best for
Hierarchical structure instead of Obsidian's graph approach.
Trilium Notes strengths
- Deep hierarchical notes with relations.
- Scripting support for automation inside notes.
- Strong for large personal knowledge bases.
Trilium Notes weaknesses
- No official mobile apps.
- UI feels dense for new users.
- Original maintainer stepped back; Trilium Next fork is active.
What's the catch with Obsidian?
- Not open source despite being free.
- Mobile app is limited compared to desktop.
- Sync requires paid add-on or custom setup.
Still unsure?
Check the full list of alternatives to Obsidian: see Obsidian alternatives, or learn more about Trilium Notes on its project page.