Joplin vs TriliumNext Notes
Both are alternatives to Evernote. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as TriliumNext Notes vs Joplin — same comparison, one verdict.
Joplin and TriliumNext Notes are closely matched on ownership (88 vs 87) — this one comes down to pricing and to which trade-offs below you can live with.
Joplin
TOP PICKA free, open-source, Markdown-based note app with end-to-end encrypted sync and native Evernote import.
Joplin stores every note as a plain Markdown file (with attachments alongside), so your notes stay readable and portable outside the app itself. It runs on desktop, mobile, and terminal, supports optional end-to-end encryption, and imports Evernote .enex exports natively — notebooks, tags, and attachments included. Sync works over your own Nextcloud/WebDAV/S3/Dropbox, Joplin Cloud (a paid hosted option), or a self-hosted Joplin Server.
TriliumNext Notes
A self-hosted, tree-structured personal knowledge base built for power users with very large note collections.
TriliumNext Notes (the actively maintained community continuation of the original zadam/Trilium, which was archived) organizes notes as an unlimited-depth tree where a single note can be cloned into multiple places — a strong fit for readers building a large, deeply cross-referenced personal wiki rather than simple flat notebooks. It runs as a desktop app or a self-hosted server (Docker image available) with notes stored in a local SQLite database, plus per-note encryption, scripting, and a REST API for automation.
Side by side
10 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| Joplin | TriliumNext Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 88 | 87 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 (app + CLI); optional Joplin Server sync under a separate personal-use license | AGPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Core app is free forever with no note/device caps. Sync is free if you bring your own WebDAV/Nextcloud/S3/Dropbox target, or self-host Joplin Server for personal use at no cost; Joplin Cloud (managed hosted sync) starts around $2.99/month. | Free and open source, unlimited notes and self-hosting. A third-party paid sync-hosting service exists for readers who don't want to run their own server, but self-hosting the sync server yourself costs nothing. |
| RAM to run it wellThe figure that actually matters, not the vendor's minimum. | 1–2 GB for Joplin Server plus PostgreSQL for a household or small group. The desktop and mobile apps run on your own devices. | — |
| Realistic running costWhat the box costs each month if you run it yourself. | $0 for the desktop and mobile apps. Joplin Server costs $6–12/mo on a 1–2 GB VPS, or $0 on a home server. A business must also buy Joplin Server Business at €30–40 per user per year. | — |
| Setup timeHonest first-install estimate, not the marketing quickstart. | 1 hour with Docker Compose and a reverse proxy you already have | — |
| Ongoing maintenanceThe part nobody budgets for. | Pull the joplin/server image now and then (3.7.2 on Docker Hub, 7 Sep 2026), back up PostgreSQL, and change the default admin@localhost / admin login on the first day. | — |
Joplin is Macrostack's recommended Evernote alternative, so it's our pick here.
Weighing both against staying on Evernote? Is Evernote free? What it actually costs →
Joplin
Strengths
- +Notes stored as plain local Markdown files — genuinely portable, readable by other tools, and easy to back up outside the app
- +Native .enex importer designed specifically for migrating from Evernote, including notebooks, tags, and attachments
- +No note, notebook, or device caps on the free core app — unlike Evernote's tiered limits
- +Choice of sync backend: your own cloud storage, self-hosted Joplin Server, or paid Joplin Cloud
Trade-offs
- −The official self-hosted Joplin Server component is source-available under a Personal-Use-only license, not a plain OSI license — fine for an individual, but read the license before using it commercially
- −OCR and full-text search across scanned/image attachments is far less capable than Evernote's
- −UI is more utilitarian than Evernote's polish; no built-in Web Clipper-style page capture as refined as Evernote's
TriliumNext Notes
Strengths
- +Handles very large note collections (100,000+ notes) smoothly — a genuine strength over flatter note apps at serious scale
- +Rich structural features (note cloning, relation maps, scripting, kanban/table/geo-map views) well beyond Evernote's flat notebook model
- +Fully free and self-hostable with an official Docker image and active weekly release cadence
- +Per-note AES-128 encryption for sensitive entries
Trade-offs
- −No official mobile app — mobile access is via browser/PWA or an unofficial third-party Android client (TriliumDroid)
- −The steep organizational power (tree + clones + relations) has a real learning curve versus Evernote's simple notebook-and-tag model
- −Notes live in a local SQLite database rather than plain files, so raw-file portability is lower than Joplin's Markdown-file approach
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Joplin
if a lower exit cost matters more to you than any single feature, and notes stored as plain local Markdown files — genuinely portable, readable by other tools, and easy to back up outside the app.
Choose TriliumNext Notes
if handles very large note collections (100,000+ notes) smoothly — a genuine strength over flatter note apps at serious scale.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — the official self-hosted Joplin Server component is source-available under a Personal-Use-only license, not a plain OSI license — fine for an individual, but read the license before using it commercially, and no official mobile app — mobile access is via browser/PWA or an unofficial third-party Android client (TriliumDroid). If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
What it takes to run these yourself
Real requirements and honest running costs, not the vendor quickstart.
Joplin vs TriliumNext Notes — common questions
Is Joplin a better fit than TriliumNext Notes for notes & knowledge?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Joplin scores 88 to TriliumNext Notes's 87 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. TriliumNext Notes earns its place on a different axis — handles very large note collections (100,000+ notes) smoothly — a genuine strength over flatter note apps at serious scale. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Joplin keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. TriliumNext Notes is still self-hostable, so the files stay on your server either way — but it is not local-first by design, so check what its export produces before you rely on it.
Can I self-host Joplin or TriliumNext Notes?
Both can be self-hosted. The difference is what it costs you in time rather than whether it is possible — see the setup and maintenance rows above.
Are Joplin and TriliumNext Notes both alternatives to Evernote?
Yes — both appear in our Evernote comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Evernote and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
More Evernote head-to-heads
More notes & knowledge comparisons
Related alternative guides
Facts verified 2026-07-12. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.