Trilium vs Obsidian
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Trilium is a note-taking application with a strong focus on building large personal knowledge bases. It is designed to be a long-term companion for thinking and learning. Trilium stores data in a central database, allowing notes to be organized in a tree-like structure with tags and links.
Obsidian is a note-taking and personal knowledge management app built around plain markdown files stored locally on your device. Rather than a rigid folder hierarchy, Obsidian encourages a networked structure through bidirectional links, backlinks, and an interactive graph view that visualizes how notes connect. Because notes are just markdown files on disk, Obsidian is fast, works fully offline, and keeps your data portable - there is no proprietary lock-in. A large community plugin ecosystem extends the core app with everything from spaced-repetition flashcards to kanban boards and calendar views. Obsidian Sync and Obsidian Publish are optional paid add-ons for cross-device syncing and publishing notes as a website, but the core app is free for personal use.
Free for personal use; commercial licenses and sync/publish are paid add-ons.
- Highly customizable
- Powerful full-text search
- Hierarchical structure
- Open-source and self-hosted
- Full data ownership with local markdown files
- Extremely fast and works offline
- Massive plugin ecosystem
- One-time payment for sync (no forced subscription)
- Steep learning curve
- Limited mobile support
- Not suitable for simple note-taking
- Steeper learning curve than typical note apps
- Mobile app less polished than desktop
- Sync/Publish cost extra
What reviewers say
Trilium Reviews
No reviews yet.
Obsidian Reviews
4.0 (2)Highly recommend Obsidian
Obsidian has quickly become part of our daily workflow. Extremely fast and works offline. One minor gripe: sync/publish cost extra, but it hasn't been a dealbreaker. Would recommend to anyone considering it.
Highly recommend Obsidian
Obsidian has quickly become part of our daily workflow. Extremely fast and works offline. One minor gripe: mobile app less polished than desktop, but it hasn't been a dealbreaker. Would recommend to anyone considering it.
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataObsidian offers a more polished, cross‑platform experience with local markdown files and a huge plugin ecosystem, while Trilium provides deeper hierarchical customization but requires self‑hosting and has limited mobile support.
Key differences
- •Data ownership: Obsidian stores plain markdown files locally; Trilium stores notes in its own database.
- •Platform coverage: Obsidian runs on iOS/Android; Trilium has limited mobile support.
- •Extensibility: Obsidian has 1000+ community plugins; Trilium is less extensible and has no API.
- •Deployment model: Trilium is open‑source and self‑hosted; Obsidian is a closed‑source desktop app.
- •Pricing structure: Trilium is completely free; Obsidian adds costs for sync/publish and commercial use.
Pricing & value
Trilium is fully free, while Obsidian charges for sync/publish and commercial licenses.
Ease of use / learning curve
Obsidian’s UI is generally more approachable; Trilium’s hierarchical system is steeper to learn.
Features & depth
Trilium offers deep hierarchical structuring, powerful full‑text search, and extensive customization.
Integrations & ecosystem
Obsidian provides 1000+ plugins and native sync with Git, iCloud, Dropbox; Trilium has no API or integrations.
Collaboration
Obsidian offers paid sync/publish for sharing; Trilium lacks built‑in collaboration features.
Scalability
Self‑hosted Trilium can scale with server resources; Obsidian relies on local files and paid sync for larger teams.
Support
Obsidian offers community forum and Discord; Trilium support is limited to GitHub Issues.
Choose Trilium if…
Teams needing self‑hosted, highly customizable hierarchical knowledge bases and no budget for licenses.
Choose Obsidian if…
Individuals or small groups wanting local markdown files, cross‑platform apps, and a rich plugin ecosystem.
Common questions
Can I export my notes from Trilium to use in Obsidian?
Trilium can export notes to various formats, but migration to Obsidian’s markdown files is not specified.
Is there a mobile app for Trilium?
Trilium has limited mobile support; no dedicated mobile app is listed.
Do I need to pay for Obsidian’s sync feature?
Yes, sync/publish are paid add‑ons; the core desktop app is free for personal use.