Comparison

Trinote vs Caliu

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Caliu

A minimalist markdown notes app designed for writers, offering a distraction-free writing experience with features like nested tags, reminders, and cross-device syncing. It allows for easy export and integration with external tools.

Highlights
  • Markdown writing with live formatting
  • Nested and colored tags for organization
  • Cross-device sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
  • Reminders for notes
  • Export to various formats (Markdown, ePub, RTF)
  • REST API and MCP server for integration
  • Customizable themes
Features
Read full description

Caliu is a quiet place to write. Open it and start typing: no account, no setup, no clutter. Markdown takes shape as you type, everything works offline, and your notes stay on your device. When you want them everywhere, create a free account and they follow you across iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web. Sync is free, and it stays free. Writing comes first Headings, lists, tasks, quotes, code and links format as you write. There is no preview pane and no mode to switch: what you see is your note. The interface steps aside and leaves you with the page. Organised the way you think Tags instead of folders, because one idea can belong in many places. Nest them, colour them, and find any note in seconds. Link notes to each other and follow a thought from one to the next. Pin what matters now, and archive what you are done with without losing a word. There when you need it Native on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with a web app for everything else. Put a reminder on any note and Caliu nudges you on whichever device you pick up. Save things to Caliu straight from the share sheet, or add a thought from your Apple Watch. Yours, and only yours No ads. No tracking. Nothing you write is used to train AI. Your notes live on your device first and sync encrypted, and Caliu is built in the EU under GDPR. Export any note as Markdown or plain text whenever you like, share one as a public link when someone needs to read it, and delete your account at any time. Deleted means deleted. For tinkerers A full REST API and a built-in MCP server, so Claude, Cursor or your own scripts can read and write your notes, on your terms. Your first API key is free. Caliu Pro Writing, tags, sync and working offline are free, with no limits on notes. Caliu Pro is for when you want more: • Voice dictation that turns speech into clean Markdown, filler words trimmed • Version history: scroll back through any note and restore it in a tap • Every theme, font and app icon: 22 colour themes, each in light and dark, and 30 fonts • Drawing, right inside your notes • Unlimited attachments • More export formats: HTML, ePub, PDF, RTF and TextPack • Unlimited API keys, and connecting AI apps like Claude to your notes Try it free before you decide. Caliu Pro is an auto-renewing subscription: it renews unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and you can manage or cancel it anytime in your App Store account settings. Made with care by a small, independent team of one. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://caliuapp.com/privacy

Screenshots

Trinote4 screens
Caliu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Trinote at none against Caliu's 2. Trinote also leads on ratings volume (12 vs 4) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Caliu's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Caliu sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Trinote asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Trinote against 5.0 for Caliu. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Trinote ships an update every 4 days, Caliu weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Trinote versus Caliu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrinoteCaliu
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (12 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB210 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVero Fide LLCMarc Torrelles

Customer experience

Trinote

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Caliu

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Trinote

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Caliu

Subscriptions2
  • Caliu Pro - Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Caliu Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year

Questions

Is Trinote free?
Trinote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Caliu free?
Caliu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Trinote or Caliu?
Trinote and Caliu are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 12 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do Trinote or Caliu have ads?
Neither Trinote nor Caliu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Trinote or Caliu?
Trinote ships an update every 4 days, and Caliu weekly. Most recently, Trinote was updated on September 19, 2026 and Caliu on September 30, 2026.

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