Joplin
Note taking application with markdown editor and encryption support for mobile and desktop platforms. Runs client-side and syncs through your own Nextcloud instance or similar (alternative to Evernote).
Joplin vs TriliumNext Notes
Two self-hosted Note-taking & Editors apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| Joplin | TriliumNext Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Note taking application with markdown editor and encryption support for mobile and desktop platforms. Runs client-side and syncs through your own Nextcloud instance or similar (alternative to Evernote). | Cross-platform hierarchical note taking application with focus on building large personal knowledge bases (fork of Trilium Notes). |
| GitHub stars | 57,175 | 38,948 |
| Forks | 6.4k | 2.6k |
| Open issues (incl. PRs) | 672 | 578 |
| Commits (12 months) | 2.1k | 19.9k |
| Last activity | 2026-11-10 | 2026-11-09 |
| Latest release | v3.7.22 (2026-10-28) | v0.107.0 (2026-11-08) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language / platform | Nodejs | Nodejs, Docker, K8S |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $5/mo | $5/mo |
| Categories | Note-taking & Editors | Note-taking & Editors |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Joplin is more popular on GitHub: 57.2k stars vs 38.9k for TriliumNext Notes.
- TriliumNext Notes had more commits in the last 12 months (19,920 vs 2,099).
- TriliumNext Notes published a release more recently (v0.107.0 on 2026-11-08; Joplin's latest is v3.7.22 on 2026-10-28).
- Joplin is licensed under MIT, TriliumNext Notes under AGPL-3.0. Joplin's license is permissive; TriliumNext Notes's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
- Both are written in Nodejs.
- Deployment options listed upstream: Joplin: none listed; TriliumNext Notes: Docker, K8S.
Summary: Joplin leads on GitHub popularity; TriliumNext Notes leads on commit activity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-15. It does not rate features or quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is Joplin or TriliumNext Notes more popular?
Joplin has more GitHub stars (57,175 vs 38,948 for TriliumNext Notes, as of 2026-11-15). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Joplin or TriliumNext Notes?
TriliumNext Notes had more commits over the last 12 months (19,920 vs 2,099). The last recorded activity was 2026-11-10 for Joplin and 2026-11-09 for TriliumNext Notes. Our health labels: Joplin is “Active”, TriliumNext Notes is “Active”.
What licenses do Joplin and TriliumNext Notes use?
Joplin: MIT. TriliumNext Notes: AGPL-3.0. Joplin's license is permissive; TriliumNext Notes's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
Can I run Joplin and TriliumNext Notes with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. The upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option for TriliumNext Notes. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
TriliumNext Notes
Cross-platform hierarchical note taking application with focus on building large personal knowledge bases (fork of Trilium Notes).
Browse all self-hosted Note-taking & Editors apps.