cabinet vs Trilium
Self-hosted knowledge bases compared
cabinet and Trilium both help users build and maintain knowledge bases they can run themselves. cabinet combines Markdown files with AI agents and scheduled workflows, while Trilium focuses on structured note-taking, linking, and organization.
cabinet: Build a Self-Hosted AI Knowledge Base
Cabinet combines a local, Markdown-based knowledge base with AI agents, scheduled jobs, and team workflows. It is aimed at people who want persistent AI context and automation while keeping their files on disk and under their control.
Trilium: Build and Organize a Personal Knowledge Base
Trilium is a cross-platform note-taking app for building and maintaining large personal knowledge bases. It combines a hierarchical note tree with search, linking, versioning, scripting, and options for self-hosting and synchronization.
| cabinet | Trilium | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Stars | 2.9k | 38.2k |
| Forks | 302 | 2.6k |
| Last analyzed | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 3, 2026 |
Key differences
- cabinet stores its knowledge as Markdown files on disk with Git-backed history; Trilium organizes notes in a hierarchical tree with revisions and links.
- cabinet includes AI agents, goals, scheduled jobs, and team workflows; Trilium offers note types, attributes, scripting, and a REST API for knowledge management.
- cabinet is a local web application requiring Node.js 22 or later and a supported AI CLI provider; Trilium is available as a desktop app or a self-hosted server with a browser interface.
- cabinet uses the MIT license; Trilium uses the AGPL-3.0 license.
- cabinet is aimed at individuals and small teams delegating repeatable work to AI agents; Trilium suits personal knowledge libraries such as research, writing, and technical notes.
- Both projects are written in TypeScript and are not archived. Trilium has 38.2k stars and 2.6k forks, compared with cabinet's 2.9k stars and 302 forks.
Choose cabinet if you…
- want Markdown files on disk with Git-backed history and portable project context.
- need AI agents, scheduled jobs, and workflows for repeatable team tasks.
- are comfortable running a local application and configuring Claude Code or Codex CLI.
Choose Trilium if you…
- want a structured note tree with links, multiple note types, and note maps.
- need note revisions, protected-note encryption, or self-hosted synchronization.
- want to automate knowledge management with attributes, scripts, or a REST API.
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This comparison is generated with AI from the OSRepos analyses of both projects. Always check each project's repository and documentation before choosing.