Self-hosting TriliumNext Notes the easy way
Yulei ChenTriliumNext Notes is an open-source, hierarchical note-taking app designed for building personal knowledge bases. It supports rich text editing, code notes with syntax highlighting, relation maps, web clipping, and even end-to-end encrypted sync between instances. If you're looking for a self-hosted alternative to tools like Notion or Obsidian, TriliumNext is one of the most feature-rich options out there.
Sliplane is a managed container platform that makes self-hosting painless. With one-click deployment, you can get TriliumNext Notes up and running in minutes - no server setup, no reverse proxy config, no infrastructure to maintain.
Prerequisites
Before deploying, ensure you have a Sliplane account (free trial available).
Quick start
Sliplane provides one-click deployment with presets.
Deploy TriliumNext >- Click the deploy button above
- Select a project
- Select a server (If you just signed up you get a 48-hour free trial server)
- Click Deploy!
About the preset
The one-click deploy above uses Sliplane's TriliumNext preset. Here's what it includes:
- Official TriliumNext Docker image (
ghcr.io/triliumnext/trilium) - Specific version tag (
v0.102.0) for stability - Persistent storage mounted to
/home/node/trilium-dataso your notes survive restarts and redeployments - Timezone set to
Europe/Berlinby default (configurable via theTZenvironment variable) - Health check configured at
/api/health-check
Next steps
Once TriliumNext is running on Sliplane, open the domain Sliplane provided (e.g. triliumnext-xxxx.sliplane.app).
First launch setup
On your first visit, TriliumNext will ask you to set a password. This password protects your notes and is required every time you log in. Make sure to pick a strong one and store it safely - there is no recovery mechanism.
Key features to explore
After setting up your password, you'll land in the note tree. Here are a few things to try:
- Create hierarchical notes: Right-click in the tree to add child notes. Notes can be nested as deep as you want.
- Clone notes: Place the same note in multiple locations without duplicating it. Right-click a note and select "Clone to..."
- Code notes: Create notes with syntax highlighting for dozens of languages - great for code snippets and technical documentation.
- Relation maps: Visualize connections between your notes by creating a relation map note type.
- Web clipper: Install the TriliumNext Web Clipper browser extension to save content from the web directly into your knowledge base.
Environment variables
You can customize TriliumNext by adding environment variables in the Sliplane service settings:
| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
TZ | Timezone for the container | Europe/Berlin |
TRILIUM_DATA_DIR | Path to the data directory | /home/node/trilium-data |
Logging
TriliumNext logs to STDOUT by default, which works perfectly with Sliplane's built-in log viewer. If you need more detail, check the logs directly in your Sliplane dashboard. For general Docker log tips, see our post on how to use Docker logs.
Cost comparison
You can also self-host TriliumNext Notes with other cloud providers. Here is a pricing comparison for the most common ones:
FAQ
What can I use TriliumNext Notes for?
TriliumNext is a versatile knowledge management tool. Common use cases include personal wikis, journaling, task management, code snippet libraries, research note organization, and bookmarking with the web clipper. Its hierarchical structure and cloning feature make it especially strong for organizing large amounts of interconnected information.
How do I sync TriliumNext between devices?
TriliumNext supports a server-client sync model. You run one instance as the server (which is what this Sliplane deployment gives you), then install TriliumNext as a desktop app on your local machine and configure it to sync with your server. The sync is end-to-end encrypted and works over HTTPS. Check the TriliumNext sync documentation for setup details.
How do I update TriliumNext?
Go to your service settings in Sliplane, change the image tag to the newer version, and redeploy. Check the TriliumNext GitHub releases for the latest stable version.
Are there alternatives to TriliumNext?
Yes. Popular self-hosted note-taking alternatives include SilverBullet (markdown-based, runs in the browser), Obsidian (local-first with optional sync), and Joplin (open-source with end-to-end encryption). Each has different strengths depending on whether you prefer markdown, rich text, or a hybrid approach.
Can I import notes from other apps?
Yes. TriliumNext supports importing from multiple formats including Markdown, HTML, and ENEX (Evernote export). You can drag and drop files directly into the note tree to import them. For migrating from the original Trilium, TriliumNext is a direct fork and reads the same database format - just point it at your existing data directory.
