Joplin vs Trilium Notes
Self-host pick — both replace Evernote (Personal notes / web clipper / archive).
Both Joplin and Trilium Notes self-host as a replacement for Evernote (Personal notes / web clipper / archive). Pick Joplin if you want long-time Evernote users — Joplin's notebook tree + tags + web clipper is the closest one-for-one feature match; pick Trilium Notes if you want power users who outgrew Evernote's flat notebook model and want a hierarchical knowledge base with scripting. Both are AGPL-family licensed and similar to set up.
| Joplinopen-source | Trilium Notesopen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Setup time | 10min — desktop/mobile app + Joplin Server (or any WebDAV) for sync | 15min docker run + desktop client install |
| Monthly cost | $5 VPS for Joplin Server (or $0 with Nextcloud / Dropbox / S3 sync); the apps are free desktop/mobile. | $5 VPS for the sync server; desktop apps are free. |
| GitHub | laurent22/joplin | TriliumNext/Notes |
| Replaces | Evernote | Evernote |
Good fit for
Joplin
Long-time Evernote users — Joplin's notebook tree + tags + web clipper is the closest one-for-one feature match.
Weak at:Real-time multi-user collaboration — Joplin syncs but doesn't merge concurrent edits in the same note cleanly.
Trilium Notes
Power users who outgrew Evernote's flat notebook model and want a hierarchical knowledge base with scripting.
Weak at:Mobile experience — there's no first-party mobile app, just a responsive web view; awkward on phones.
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli evernote prints Evernote's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, Joplin or Trilium Notes?
Joplin: 10min — desktop/mobile app + Joplin Server (or any WebDAV) for sync. Trilium Notes: 15min docker run + desktop client install.
What does each cost to run?
Joplin: $5 VPS for Joplin Server (or $0 with Nextcloud / Dropbox / S3 sync); the apps are free desktop/mobile.. Trilium Notes: $5 VPS for the sync server; desktop apps are free.. Both projects are free and open source.
Do Joplin and Trilium Notes replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to Evernote.