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Trilium / TriliumNext & SilverBullet

Tree + relations notes (Trilium) and end-user-programmable markdown wikis (SilverBullet) — both FOSS self-host.

Two underrated FOSS picks that don't fit the Obsidian / Logseq mould. Trilium is tree-organised with relation properties; SilverBullet is a markdown-first wiki that you can program from inside the wiki. Pair with pkm-overview-methodologies; see also selfhost-notes-wiki, pkm-obsidian-deep, pkm-logseq-deep, pkm-tiddlywiki-tiddlywiki5.

TriliumNext ★

  • ★ Free OSS (AGPL); fork of Trilium Notes (the original maintainer stepped back; TriliumNext is the active community continuation as of 2024).
  • ★ Self-host server + desktop client. Web app + desktop Electron + mobile (basic).
  • ★ Tree organisation — notes are a hierarchy, but a note can be cloned into multiple branches (single source, many homes).
  • ★ Note attributes — labels and relations; you can build a personal CRM, project tracker, or knowledge graph with structured properties.
  • Scripting — JavaScript inside notes; auto-update, custom widgets, scripted workflows.
  • Encrypted notes as a first-class feature.
  • Markdown import / export — the on-disk format is its own DB, but markdown round-trips work.
  • https://github.com/TriliumNext/Notes

Pick TriliumNext if: you like a hierarchical tree, you want note properties / relations as first-class data, you're happy self-hosting a server, and the lock-in to its DB doesn't scare you.

SilverBullet ★

  • ★ Free OSS (MIT).
  • ★ Markdown files on disk (or in S3-compatible storage) as the source of truth.
  • ★ End-user-programmable — write Lua plugs / Space Lua scripts inside the wiki to extend behaviour. Page templates, queries, custom commands.
  • ★ PWA-first. Open it in a browser; works offline. Run the server on a VPS / Pi / Docker.
  • Live queries — query blocks update inline; like Dataview but in a wiki.
  • Federation — link to other SilverBullet instances.
  • https://github.com/silverbulletmd/silverbullet

Pick SilverBullet if: you want a markdown wiki you can self-host, modify with code, and access from any browser, and the smaller community vs. Obsidian doesn't deter you.

Trilium vs. SilverBullet — different shapes

  • Trilium: tree-shaped, attribute-rich, scriptable, more "personal database than wiki."
  • SilverBullet: flat-shaped, link-rich, programmable, more "wiki than database."
  • Both are self-host first. Both have web access. Both are FOSS.
  • Use Trilium when structured properties matter (CRM, project tracker, recipe collection with metadata).
  • Use SilverBullet when prose + links + light queries are enough.

Other FOSS self-host PKM tools worth knowing

  • DokuWiki — file-based wiki; battle-tested; not Markdown-native but has a markdown plugin. See selfhost-notes-wiki.
  • BookStack — book/chapter/page hierarchy; team-flavoured; great for structured documentation. See selfhost-notes-wiki.
  • Wiki.js — modern team wiki; many auth backends — see selfhost-notes-wiki.
  • Outline — Notion-feeling team wiki — see selfhost-notes-wiki.
  • HedgeDoc — collaborative markdown editing.
  • Memos — Twitter-shape personal log — see selfhost-notes-wiki.

Self-host realities

  • ★ Plan backups before you commit. Your second brain on a VPS dies if you don't. Daily DB / file backups, weekly off-site.
  • ★ TLS + auth. Cloudflare Tunnel, Tailscale, or a real cert + reverse proxy.
  • Mobile. TriliumNext mobile is basic; SilverBullet PWA works on phone but isn't an app. Plan accordingly.
  • Single-user vs. multi-user. Both Trilium and SilverBullet are single-user-shape; for team, see selfhost-notes-wiki.

Pick this if…

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