Outline vs Trilium: Which to Self-Host?
Quick Verdict
Outline is the better choice for teams that need a collaborative knowledge base with real-time editing and permissions. TriliumNext is better for individuals building a personal “second brain” with interconnected notes, cloning, and deep linking. Outline is team-first; TriliumNext is individual-first.
Overview
Outline is a modern knowledge base designed for teams. It features a Notion-like editor with slash commands, real-time collaboration, and deep permission controls. It requires PostgreSQL, Redis, and an external authentication provider (no built-in username/password auth).
TriliumNext is a personal knowledge management system with a hierarchical note tree. Notes can be cloned across locations, linked with relation maps, and organized with custom attributes. It uses embedded SQLite and runs as a single container. Originally created by a solo developer, it’s now maintained by the community as TriliumNext.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Outline | TriliumNext |
|---|---|---|
| Target user | Teams | Individuals |
| Editor | Slash-command Markdown | WYSIWYG + code notes |
| Real-time collab | Yes (multiplayer) | No |
| Organization | Collections → Documents (nested) | Hierarchical note tree |
| Note cloning | No | Yes |
| Backlinks | No | Yes (relation maps) |
| Custom attributes | No | Yes (labels + relations) |
| Search | Full-text | Full-text + attribute queries |
| Permissions | Per-collection, per-document | Single-user |
| Authentication | OIDC, Google, Slack, Azure | Password |
| API | REST API | REST API + ETAPI |
| Desktop sync | No (web-only) | Yes (desktop client) |
| Docker services | 3 (app + PostgreSQL + Redis) | 1 (single container) |
| RAM usage | 400–800 MB total | 150–300 MB |
| S3 storage | Optional (local or S3) | Local only |
Installation Complexity
Outline is one of the more complex self-hosted apps to set up. Three containers (app, PostgreSQL, Redis), plus you need an external OIDC provider or configure Google/Slack OAuth. Secrets must be generated (64 hex chars), and the URL env var must exactly match the access URL or auth breaks. Not difficult, but many moving parts.
TriliumNext is near-zero effort. One container, one volume, set a password on first launch. Nothing else to configure. The password doubles as the database encryption key.
The complexity gap is significant. TriliumNext deploys in 2 minutes. Outline can take 30+ minutes including OIDC setup.
Performance and Resource Usage
TriliumNext is remarkably light — 150–300 MB for the entire application. Embedded SQLite means no database overhead. It’s efficient enough for a Raspberry Pi 4.
Outline with its three services needs 400–800 MB total. PostgreSQL and Redis add baseline overhead even when idle. It’s still reasonable for any modern server but isn’t suitable for constrained hardware.
Community and Support
Outline is backed by a company (Outline, Inc.) that also offers a hosted version. Documentation is good but focused on the hosted product. Self-hosting docs are adequate but community support is thinner than pure open-source projects.
TriliumNext’s community forked from the original Trilium project and is actively maintaining it. The community is smaller but passionate, with decent documentation and regular releases.
Use Cases
Choose Outline If…
- You need a team knowledge base with real-time collaboration
- You want Notion-like editing with slash commands
- You need per-document permissions and sharing
- You already run an OIDC provider (Keycloak, Authentik)
- Your team needs a polished, modern wiki
Choose TriliumNext If…
- You need a personal knowledge management system
- You want note cloning and relation maps
- You need desktop client sync for offline access
- You prefer a single-container deployment
- You want encrypted local storage
Final Verdict
Outline is a team tool. TriliumNext is a personal tool. This is the clearest differentiator.
If you’re setting up a shared knowledge base for a team or organization, Outline delivers a Notion-like experience self-hosted. If you’re building a personal wiki with deep note interconnections, TriliumNext is purpose-built for that workflow.
For a middle ground that works for both individuals and small teams, consider BookStack — simpler than Outline, more shareable than TriliumNext.
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