trilium-translation
Trilium Translation is a community-maintained fork of Trilium Notes with Chinese localization and UI enhancements. It provides desktop and server deployments via pre-built releases and Docker, maintaining compatibility with the original Trilium codebase.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | Nriver/trilium-translation |
| Owner | Nriver |
| Primary language | HTML |
| License | AGPL-3.0 — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 2.9k |
| Forks | 313 |
| Open issues | 4 |
| Latest release | v0.63.7_20240530 (2024-05-30) |
| Last updated | 2026-07-08 |
| Source | https://github.com/Nriver/trilium-translation |
What trilium-translation is
This is a translation and customization layer built on Trilium Notes using Python/Node.js tooling to extract, patch, and recompile releases with hardcoded Chinese UI text. The project uses asar/webpack for asset handling and provides Docker Compose deployment for the server variant.
Get the trilium-translation source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/Nriver/trilium-translation.gitcd trilium-translation# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Data backup is mandatory before deployment (hardcoded translation changes risk runtime failures).
- Compilation environment must match project assumptions (Manjaro/Linux base; path customization needed for Windows/macOS).
- AGPL-3.0 licensing requires source code sharing if deployed over a network (review compliance obligations).
- Translation is baked into frontnd/backend; fixes require full recompilation and redeployment.
- Docker image pinned to a specific release; tracking upstream Trilium updates is manual.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- You need dynamic language switching — Translation is hardcoded into binaries; switching back to English requires rebuilding or using original Trilium.
- You require upstream warranty or SLA — This is a community fork by a single maintainer; security patches and feature parity with official Trilium are not guaranteed.
- You depend on commercial support or indemnification — AGPL-3.0 licensing and community-only maintenance mean no vendor support channel or liability protection.
- You cannot audit/rebuild your software — The project requires Python3, Node.js, asar, and webpack; complex compilation pipeline creates friction for verification.
License & commercial use
Licensed under AGPL-3.0 (GNU Affero General Public License v3.0). This is a copyleft license requiring source disclosure and derivative works to be licensed under the same terms. Network-accessible deployments trigger source-sharing obligations.
Commercial use is possible under AGPL-3.0 but requires careful review: (1) You must provide source code to all users accessing the software over a network; (2) Any modifications must be released under AGPL-3.0; (3) Consult legal counsel if offering this as a service or embedding in proprietary products. This is not a permissive license.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Moderate |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | Medium |
Hardcoded UI patches introduce regression risk if translation strings corrupt functionality. AGPL-3.0 enforces source visibility but does not guarantee code audit or security review. Single maintainer limits security response capacity. Network deployments expose data to standard web application risks (review TLS, auth, network isolation). No disclosure of security policies or patch history provided.
Alternatives to consider
Official Trilium Notes (upstream)
Maintained by original author, English-first, guaranteed upstream support and plugin ecosystem; requires manual translation or UI customization.
Joplin
Multi-platform FOSS note app with built-in i18n system, active maintenance, simpler deployment; different feature set and UX.
Obsidian (with Chinese community mods)
Proprietary but closed-source, community Chinese translations available, stronger Markdown support; different architecture and sync model.
Build on trilium-translation with DEV.co software developers
Download the latest release or spin up a Docker container to run a self-hosted Chinese-localized note platform. Backup your data first—hardcoded translations require careful testing.
Talk to DEV.coRelated open-source tools
Surfaced by semantic similarity across the DEV.co open-source index.
Related on DEV.co
Explore the category and the services that help you build with it.
trilium-translation FAQ
Can I switch back to English after using this fork?
Is this fork compatible with official Trilium data?
Does AGPL-3.0 mean I must publish my notes?
How often is this fork updated?
Software development & web development with DEV.co
Need help beyond evaluating trilium-translation? DEV.co is a software development agency offering software development services and web development for teams of every size. Our software developers and web developers build custom software, web applications, APIs, and open-source devops integrations — and maintain them long-term.
Deploy Trilium Translation for Your Team
Download the latest release or spin up a Docker container to run a self-hosted Chinese-localized note platform. Backup your data first—hardcoded translations require careful testing.