What it does
Trilium Notes is a note-taking and personal knowledge-base application. The official site describes a hierarchical note tree, local desktop use, offline access, and synchronization with a self-hosted server. Its documentation covers multiple note types, note-tree navigation, and attributes, making it suitable for a collection that needs deeper structure than a flat list.
A practical starting arrangement is a tree with a few broad branches such as Projects, Reading, and Reference, followed by notes for individual topics. Trilium's official guide describes a note tree and several note types; its user guide also covers attributes and search. A reader can use those structures to keep a related set of research notes together, then add metadata when the collection grows.
The vendor says the desktop app works offline and can synchronize with a server the user self-hosts. That gives the product a local workflow but asks more setup of anyone who wants cross-device access. The official license page contains the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 text; prospective users should review its terms before modifying or hosting the software. This record does not assess the operational security of a self-hosted server. No installation, sync, or backup was performed.
Strengths
- A hierarchical note tree and multiple note types support detailed organization.
- The project documents local desktop use, offline operation, and synchronization with a self-hosted server.
- A documented note and attribute model can help readers retrieve material in a large collection.
Watch out for
- Cross-device synchronization through a self-hosted server requires the user to arrange that server.
Best for
- Maintaining a deep personal reference tree with typed notes and metadata
- Users willing to manage a self-hosted sync endpoint for their knowledge base
Sources
- Trilium Notes (Oct 25, 2026)
- Notes - User Guide (Oct 25, 2026)
- License - User Guide (Oct 25, 2026)