Dnote vs Memos (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Memos grades higher than Dnote: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Memos grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Dnote if
- Fits if you spend your day in a terminal and want to save commands you'll need again
- Works for people who are happy to host their own sync server
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a window to click in, as it is command line only
- Skip it if you need hosted sync: the vendor lists none
- Too light for long documents, links or images, as it is built for short notes
- Watch out: there is no mobile or web app on its site
Pick Memos if
- Fits if you already run a home server and want your quick notes on it
- Works for jotting short things like a work log, or capturing notes through an API or a Telegram bot
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run and back up a server, as there's no hosted service
- Not for you if you sort notes into folders or notebooks, because Memos has neither
- Too light for long structured documents, since it's built around short posts on a timeline
- Tight if you want a phone or desktop app, as there are none, only the web app installed as a PWA
- Watch out: import is a work in progress and takes only a Memos export ZIP, not files from other note apps
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADnoteGood | 2.8GPAMemosGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source, with no paid plan; the program is a single binary. | AThe pricing page puts the whole product at $0 under the MIT license, with no seat fees and no premium features, in a category whose middle plan is $6 a month. The only bill is your server, and that goes to your host. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright. Syncing across devices needs a server you run yourself. | AEverything is free: sharing, Spaces, the API and all three database options. One codebase, no Pro edition above it, no cap to run into. |
| Features | CFull-text search, your own editor, one SQLite file, a REST API and self-hosted sync. The listing's gaps: no hosted sync, no phone or web app. | CMarkdown memos with code, tables, task lists, math and diagrams, found by text, nested tags, date or place, each one private or public. The listing names the gaps: no folders or notebooks at all, a Space that won't let two people edit one memo, and import that takes only Memos' own export. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It runs in a terminal, and sync means running your own server. | DYou host it yourself. It ships as a Docker container or a binary, and running and backing up the server is on you. Writing a memo is simple enough once it's up; getting it up is the work. |
| Platforms and integrations | CmacOS, Linux and Windows programs only. The REST API needs your own server. | BA web app that installs as a PWA, a clipper for Chromium browsers and Firefox, a Telegram bot, REST and gRPC APIs, webhooks and an MCP endpoint. No native phone or desktop app is listed, so it's the browser or the API. |
| Best for | command-line notes with self-hosted sync | a private timeline of quick notes on your own server |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Dnote and Memos. How we grade
Price against what you get
Dnote has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Memos has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Memos scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other note-taking apps on the chart, none scores higher than Dnote for less, and none scores higher than Memos for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Memos also covers Markdown, linked notes and web clipper.
In commonFree planOpen sourceSelf-hostablePublic APINotes
At a glance
| Dnote | Memos | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The vendor says Dnote is free and open source and will always be free. | Free and open source under the MIT license, with no paid plans, seat fees or premium features. The only cost is whatever server, domain or backup storage you choose to run it on. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Dnote | The Memos project |
| Price read from | getdnote.com | usememos.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Dnote
- Sync between devices requires running your own server; the vendor lists no hosted service.
- It is a command-line tool with no mobile or web app listed on its site.
- Binaries are listed for macOS, Linux, FreeBSD and Windows; FreeBSD is not a platform on this site.
Memos
- The project runs no hosted service, so you need to operate and back up a server yourself or use an instance someone else runs.
- No native mobile or desktop apps are listed; phones and computers use the web app, which can be installed as a PWA.
- Import is marked as work in progress and accepts only a Memos export ZIP; imports from other note apps are not supported.
- Memos are not arranged in folders or notebooks, and a Space does not let several people edit the same memo.
Key features
Dnote
- Full-text search
- Search every saved note from the terminal to find a command or snippet without scrolling shell history.
- Bring your own editor
- Notes can be written in any text editor, in a terminal or as a GUI.
- Single SQLite file
- All data is in one file that can be backed up to any storage, queried with standard tools or migrated.
- Self-hosted sync server
- An optional single-binary server with SQLite syncs data between devices and can be deployed with Docker or run directly.
- REST API
- The server exposes notes over a REST API for integrations or any HTTP client.
Memos
- Timeline of Markdown memos
- Memos are written in Markdown with code highlighting, tables, task lists, math and diagrams, and need no title or folder before saving.
- Search, tags, calendar and map
- Find a memo by its text, nested #tags, the day it was written or the place attached to it. Views save a filter expression for reuse.
- Per-memo visibility and Spaces
- Each memo is private, open to signed-in users, public or limited to a Space. Spaces gather members and memos in one feed but do not grant shared editing.
- Self-hosted in one container
- Runs with Docker, Kubernetes or a binary for Linux, macOS or Windows, and keeps data in SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL on infrastructure you control.
- API, webhooks and MCP server
- REST and gRPC APIs cover the product's features, signed webhooks fire when memos change, and a built-in MCP endpoint lets AI assistants search and write memos.
- Web Clipper and Telegram capture
- A browser extension for Chromium-based browsers and Firefox saves pages, selections and images as Markdown, and a Telegram bot forwards messages into Memos.
Plans
Dnote
Dnote$0
Free and open source (Apache-2.0 per its GitHub page). Sync needs a server you run yourself.
Memos
Memos software$0
Every feature, including sharing, Spaces, the API and all three database backends. Hosting is arranged and paid for separately.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Dnote or Memos?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Dnote and Memos are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Dnote or Memos?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Dnote and Memos have a free plan.
Which platforms do Dnote and Memos run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Dnote lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps and only Memos lists a web app and a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.