TiddlyWiki vs Turtl
TiddlyWiki
tiddlywiki.comTurtl
turtlapp.comSide by side
| Figure | TiddlyWiki | Turtl |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $3/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Note-taking apps | 8.7 (#41) | 9.3 (#8) |
| Encryption | For a single HTML file, TiddlyWiki supports AES 256-bit encryption in CCM mode using the Stanford JavaScript Crypto Library. | Turtl encrypts data on the client before transmission, so stored server data remains unreadable without users' keys. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, California, United States | The Google Play listing identifies the developer as LYON BROS LLC at 5332 Knox Ave S, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55419, United States. |
| Maker | The project page identifies Jeremy Ruston as TiddlyWiki's original inventor and says he can be hired through Intertwingled Innovations. | Turtl states that the project is owned and operated by Lyon Bros LLC. |
| Platforms | The official quick-start page lists desktop downloads for macOS, Windows and Linux, and its getting-started filters include Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. | The download page lists Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Chrome and Firefox bookmarking extensions, and says iOS is coming soon. |
| Purpose | TiddlyWiki is a non-linear personal web notebook and interactive wiki. | Turtl describes itself as a secure, collaborative notebook for organizing bookmarks, passwords, files, and shopping lists. |
| Search | TiddlyWiki provides fast, flexible search across tiddlers, with advanced options for filtering system and shadow tiddlers. | Users can search note text, filter by tags or untagged items, and sort by creation or edit date. |
| Self-hosting | TiddlyWiki can run as a Node.js application with a web server; the guide says this configuration is more powerful but requires more technical knowledge to set up and maintain. | Turtl publishes an open-source server that can be run on a user's own infrastructure. |
| Support | Talk TiddlyWiki is the official forum for help, release and plugin announcements, feature discussions and user experiences. | Basic and Premium include community support, while Business includes dedicated support; the contact page directs users to the Turtl Community for questions and help. |
| What it does | TiddlyWiki is a non-linear notebook for capturing, organising and sharing complex information, including notes, to-do lists, projects and websites. | Turtl is a private collaborative notebook for organizing notes, bookmarks, passwords, files, images and documents. |
Plans
In their own words
TiddlyWiki
TiddlyWiki is a free, non-linear notebook and interactive wiki for organizing and sharing notes, to-do lists, projects, and websites. It stores information in small units called tiddlers, which can be linked and grouped with tags, lists, and macros. Search spans tiddlers and supports filtering system and shadow tiddlers. In its single-file form, the data and code are held in one HTML file that runs in a browser without installation or external dependencies. Users can import material from files or other TiddlyWiki windows, and extend a wiki with plugins, themes, colour palettes, widgets, and macros. It can also run as a Node.js application; that setup offers more capability but takes more technical knowledge to set up and maintain. Saving choices vary, including storage and sync options such as Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, and Syncthing. The built-in encryption for single-file wikis has not undergone rigorous third-party testing. TiddlyWiki is available across web, mobile, desktop, and self-hosted setups.
Turtl
Turtl is a collaborative notebook for organizing bookmarks, passwords, files, shopping lists, and other notes. It supports text, bookmark, password, image, and document notes, with full-text search, tag filtering, Markdown, and TeX math rendering. Users can create Spaces, choose collaborators, and set permissions from read-only access through full ownership. Turtl says data is encrypted in the app before leaving the device, using keys derived from the user's email and password. Shared items get separate random keys, so recipients can unlock only the item shared with them. The service warns that an intercepted email invitation could expose a shared Space if its secret is not communicated separately. Users can import or export their full profile for backup or migration, and can install the open-source server to host their own data. Listed platforms include Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, with Chrome and Firefox bookmarking extensions; offline access is supported. Premium costs $3/mo and includes 10GB note data and 10 collaborators per Space; Business costs $8/mo and includes 50GB and dedicated support.