Goodnotes vs TriliumNext Notes
Goodnotes
goodnotes.comTriliumNext Notes
triliumnotes.orgSide by side
| Figure | Goodnotes | TriliumNext Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 13 | 2 |
| Spec score · AI Note-Taking Apps | 9.3 (#1) | 7.7 (#35) |
| Spec score · Notes apps | 9.3 (#3) | 7.7 (#66) |
| Integrations | The help center documents automatic backup to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or WebDAV on iOS and iPadOS. | The product includes a browser web clipper, a built-in REST API and MCP support for external assistants. |
| Organization | The app organizes documents with folders, notebooks, and favorites, with unlimited folders listed in its app description. | Notes can be arranged hierarchically, with notes allowed in multiple places in the hierarchy. |
Plans
Goodnotes
- FreeFree
- Essential$11.99 a year
- Pro$35.99 a year
- AI Pass$9.99 a month
- Teams$120 a year
- EnterprisePriced on request
- EnterprisePrice not published
- Special EditionPriced on request
- Special EditionPrice not published
- Goodnotes Essential$11.99 a year
In their own words
Goodnotes
Goodnotes is a note-taking app from Goodnotes, a company founded in 2011 and based in London. It runs on Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows, with offline access, note sharing, and real-time collaboration. Listed integrations include Google Calendar, Google Drive, ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Outlook, and Apple Calendar. The Free plan costs nothing and includes three notebooks, three text documents, three whiteboards, three folders, 100 MB of storage, and a 5 MB import limit. Essential costs $11.99 a year and includes 5 GB of storage and unlimited files, with a 7-day free trial. Pro costs $35.99 a year and includes unlimited files, also with a 7-day trial. Teams costs $120 a year and adds collaboration, SAML SSO, domain control, consolidated billing, and user and admin management. AI Pass is a $9.99 a month add-on with approximately 6,300 additional AI credits per month; availability varies by region and eligible plan. Enterprise and Special Edition have no listed prices.
TriliumNext Notes
TriliumNext Notes is a free, open-source application for taking notes and maintaining a personal knowledge base. It uses an outliner structure in which notes can be nested hierarchically and placed in multiple locations. Supported note types include text, Markdown, code, spreadsheets, canvases, Mermaid diagrams, mind maps and files. Collections can present the same material as calendars, tables, Kanban boards, geomaps, presentations or dashboards. Full-text search can inspect image and PDF text through OCR. Notes can be imported from Markdown, HTML and OPML and exported to those formats. Self-hosted or cloud instances synchronize across devices and provide mobile browser access through a PWA; no official mobile app is provided. JavaScript supports widgets and scheduled or event-driven scripts. Optional AI connections use your own provider keys. Protected notes use AES-128 CBC, while metadata remains unencrypted. The software is designed for one user, not simultaneous shared editing.