LinkBuddy vs Trinote
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LinkBuddy
This is a free, open-source client for a self-hosted bookmark management service. It allows users to add, edit, archive, and search bookmarks, with support for a share sheet extension and an in-app browser. It's privacy-focused and ad-free.
- Add, edit, archive, delete bookmarks
- Search bookmarks (active, archive, unread, untagged, shared)
- Share sheet extension for external app sharing
- In-app browser with Safari Reader View
- Dark and light mode themes
- iPad compatible
- Privacy focused and ad-free
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LinkBuddy is a free and open source client for linkding, a selfhosted bookmark management service. NOTE: This does not work without a selfhosted instance of linkding and an associated API access token. Please see more information about setting up linkding here: https://linkding.link/ Features: - Add, edit, archive and delete bookmarks - View and search your active, archive, unread, untagged, and shared bookmarks - Supports share sheet extension to share URLs from other apps into LinkBuddy - Open and view links in in-app web browser - Supports Safari Reader View via in-app web browser - Supports dark mode and light mode themes - iPad compatible - Privacy focused - this app doesn't store or track any personal user information, logs, or display any ads - Free and open source: https://github.com/peterto/LinkBuddy
Trinote
A native, open-source iOS client for self-hosted note servers. Browse, organize, and search your entire note tree, including text, code, and image files. Enjoy offline access to cached content and customize the app's appearance.
- Browse and organize note tree
- Full-text search on server
- Read and edit text, code, images, files
- Offline caching of content
- Customizable appearance with dark mode
- Privacy-focused client-only design
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Trinote is a native, open-source iOS client for your self-hosted Trilium (TriliumNext) note server. Your notes stay on your server and your device — Trinote is a client only. Browse & organize Explore your full note tree with lazy loading, clones, and branches — the way Trilium models your workspace. Create, move, duplicate, and delete notes; keep favorites and recents at hand; optionally work with open-note tabs. Find anything Run full-text search on the server to jump to the right note fast. Offline, search titles in your cached notes. Use find-on-page once a note is open. Read & edit Open and edit text notes with a rich editor — formatting, lists, task lists, tables, callouts, code blocks, images, links, and math. Work with code, images, and files too. Also supported: canvas, Mermaid diagrams, mind maps, spreadsheets, geo maps, calendars, kanban boards, and presentations (availability can depend on your Trilium version). Attachments Add from Camera, Photos, or Files. Preview, download, rename, and share. Share & capture Save text, links, images, and files into Trinote via the iOS Share extension (Markdown becomes HTML). Manage public Trilium share links, or send notes to a nearby device over your local network. Stays useful offline Caches tree structure and note content so you can keep browsing and editing when the network drops. Changes sync when you’re back online. Full-text search and some live actions still need the server. Connect your way Sign in with your Trilium password (TOTP supported). Use multiple server profiles, and optional Cloudflare Access for protected setups. Appearance & security Choose light, dark, or system appearance, plus color themes and custom accents. Lock the app with a PIN and Face ID / Touch ID. Privacy Trinote does not host your notes. Your data lives on your Trilium server and your local device.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Trinote at every 6 days against LinkBuddy's every 2 months. Trinote also leads on ratings volume (15 vs 1). LinkBuddy's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for LinkBuddy against 5.0 for Trinote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Trinote has 15 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
LinkBuddy ships an update every 2 months, Trinote every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LinkBuddy | Trinote |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (15 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 15 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 71 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Peter To | Vero Fide LLC |
Customer experience
LinkBuddy
Trinote
In-app purchases
LinkBuddy
No in-app purchases
Trinote
No in-app purchases
