Comparison

Trinote vs Clover

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

Clover

Access and manage your self-hosted knowledge base on mobile. Read notes offline, search extensively, and write with a rich-text editor. Offers advanced features like AI chat and widgets with a Pro upgrade.

Highlights
  • Offline reading and writing
  • Full-text search
  • Rich-text editor
  • Voice-to-text input
  • Share extension
  • AI chat integration
  • Widgets
Features
Read full description

Clover is a third-party iOS client for TriliumNext Notes, designed reading-first: bring the knowledge base on your self-hosted server to your phone — readable offline, fully searchable. All core features are free. Clover Pro (one-time purchase or subscription): multiple servers, unlimited AI chats, alternate icons, home and lock screen widgets (today's journal, continue reading, quick capture), and Spotlight search. No ads. No server yet? Start with the built-in Local Vault and upload everything with one tap once you connect a Trilium server. Reading • Native typography with adjustable paper colour, font and size • Continuous multi-chapter reading for book notes, progress remembered • Images, PDF, Office documents, code highlighting, Mermaid, math • Full-text search that works for any language, including CJK Writing • Rich-text editor fully compatible with desktop Trilium • Journal: one note per day, capture fast; voice-to-text input • Share extension: save web pages, text and images from any app • Every write is queued first — nothing is lost offline, conflicts never overwrite Sync & security • Same login session as the Trilium web UI, with TOTP, SSO and Cloudflare Access • Incremental sync + live updates (foreground WebSocket), low-power and Wi-Fi-only policies • Face ID lock; protected notes unlock separately and never touch the disk • AI chat is powered by your own server — Clover stores no API keys Multiple accounts / servers, three-column iPad layout, localised in English, 简体中文, 繁體中文 and 日本語. Clover is an independent third-party client, not affiliated with the TriliumNext project. Syncing requires a TriliumNext server (0.99+); local-only use works without one. English Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ 简体中文 使用条款(EULA):https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ 繁體中文 使用條款(EULA):https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ 日本語 利用規約(EULA):https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Trinote4 screens
Clover4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Trinote at free against Clover's free with in-app purchases. Trinote also leads on ratings volume (15 vs 1). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

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 Clover. 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. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Trinote ships an update every 6 days, Clover weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Trinote versus Clover: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrinoteClover
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (15 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings15 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVero Fide LLC郑 陶

Customer experience

Trinote

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Clover

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Trinote

No in-app purchases

None

Clover

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Trinote free?
Trinote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Clover free?
Clover is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Trinote or Clover?
Trinote and Clover are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 15 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Trinote or Clover have ads?
Neither Trinote nor Clover shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Trinote or Clover?
Trinote ships an update every 6 days, and Clover weekly. Most recently, Trinote was updated on October 31, 2026 and Clover on October 31, 2026.

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