Trilium Notes vs Obsidian: Features, Pricing and User Reviews 2026

Trilium Notes is completely free to use with no hidden costs or premium plans. It is released under an open-source license, which means you can download, install, and use it without paying anything. There are no subscription fees, no user limits, and no restrictions on features.

Since it is open-source, you have full control over your data. You can install it on your own computer or server without relying on any third-party service. The project is maintained by a community of developers who continue to improve it.

If you want to support the development team, you can make voluntary donations through platforms like GitHub Sponsors or Patreon. However, all features remain free whether you donate or not. This makes Trilium an excellent choice for individuals, students, and teams on any budget.

Obsidian is completely free for personal use with all core features included. You get unlimited notes, full plugin access, and complete control over your data at no cost.

For users who want to sync notes across devices, Obsidian Sync offers two plans. The Standard plan costs $4 per month when paid yearly (or $5 monthly) and includes one synced vault with 1GB storage. The Plus plan costs $8 per month yearly (or $10 monthly) with 10GB storage and unlimited vaults.

Obsidian Publish lets you share notes on the web for $8 per month yearly (or $10 monthly) per site, with custom themes and no technical knowledge needed.

The optional Commercial License costs $50 per user yearly for business use, though it became optional in 2025. For one-time supporters, the Catalyst license at $25 gives early access to beta versions and community perks.