The Memos Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Memos in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Memos
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source, self-hosted timeline of short Markdown notes
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from Memos’s own pages.
Made by The Memos project · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Memos’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Memos’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
Memos is a free, open-source note-taking app that you run on your own server. Notes are short Markdown posts on a timeline, found again by search, tag, date or place, and each one can be private, shared with signed-in users or a Space, or made public. The project offers no hosted service: it ships as a single Docker container or binary that stores data in SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Memos, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The catch is the server: the project offers no hosted version, so you run and back it up yourself.
- 1
Best for a private timeline of quick notes on your own server
Memos is a private timeline for short Markdown notes, found again by tag, date or search, free with every feature and an API.
- 2
It is free
Memos has no paid plan at all. 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.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web, with a browser extension too.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
A 2.8 GPA, above 72 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Memos is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Memos at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- Made by
- The Memos project
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for a private timeline of quick notes on your own server
Memos is a private timeline for short Markdown notes, found again by tag, date or search, free with every feature and an API. The catch is the server: the project offers no hosted version, so you run and back it up yourself. There are no native apps, no folders or notebooks, a Space won't let two people edit one memo, and import takes only Memos' own export. If Docker means nothing to you, skip it.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | The 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 | A | Everything is free: sharing, Spaces, the API and all three database options. One codebase, no Pro edition above it, no cap to run into. |
| Features | C | Markdown 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 | D | You 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 | B | A 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Memos is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Self-hosters who want quick notes on a server they control
- Short, frequent notes and logs rather than long structured documents
- Developers who want to script note capture through an API
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Memos is free to use.
The only bill is your server, and that goes to your host.
Memos software
$0
Every feature, including sharing, Spaces, the API and all three database backends. Hosting is arranged and paid for separately.
The free plan
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.
Read from usememos.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and Browser extension
Open-source, self-hosted timeline of short Markdown notes. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, public API, notes, Markdown, linked notes, web clipper.
Markdown memos with code, tables, task lists, math and diagrams, found by text, nested tags, date or place, each one private or public.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Telegram
Memos is made by The Memos project.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
72/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
Memos's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 34.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 100 of 147) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Memos has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Memos’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 62 of 147
- AFree plan and trialAbove 100 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 147
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 86 of 147
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 103 note-taking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Memos is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Memos is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
What you could make
- Notes, Markdown, linked notes and web clipper: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- It plugs into other products, Telegram among them, and has an API.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Memos’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Blinko, flatnotes, Trilium Notes, Joplin and Google Keep
The 5 tools Memos is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Blinko
Free plan · from $5.99/mo
AI-assisted card notes, self-hosted or on Blinko Cloud.
- Only Memos lists a browser extension.
- Only Blinko lists macOS, Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Memos also covers linked notes and web clipper.
- 2.6GPA
flatnotes
Free
Self-hosted notes web app on a flat folder of Markdown files.
- Only Memos lists a browser extension.
- Memos also covers web clipper.
- 3.0GPA
Trilium Notes
Free
Free, open-source hierarchical notes for a personal knowledge base.
- Only Trilium Notes lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Memos also covers linked notes.
- 3.6GPA
Joplin
Free plan · from €2.40/mo
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose.
- Only Joplin lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Joplin is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Memos also covers linked notes.
- 3.2GPA
Google Keep
Free plan · from $7/mo
Google's app for quick notes, lists and reminders.
- Only Google Keep lists iOS and Android apps.
- Memos is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Memos also covers Markdown and linked notes.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Memos free?
Yes. Memos is free to use.
How much does Memos cost?
Memos lists one plan. Memos software: $0.
What platforms does Memos work on?
Memos is available on Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does Memos have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Memos is listed for Web.
Does Memos have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Memos is listed for Web.
Is Memos open source?
Yes. Memos is open source, according to its own site.
Does Memos have an API?
Yes. Memos offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Memos integrate with?
Memos's listing names Telegram. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Memos?
Memos is made by The Memos project.
What are the alternatives to Memos?
The closest alternatives to Memos in our directory are Blinko, flatnotes, Trilium Notes, Joplin and Google Keep.
How does Memos compare with other note-taking apps?
Memos's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 34.
Is Memos good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Memos A for value for money. Memos has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Memos?
Memos is free, so making your own would save you nothing. What you could not make: It plugs into other products, Telegram among them, and has an API.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Memos’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Memos' own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-03-05.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by The Memos project. Prices change, so check usememos.com before you buy.
- usememos.com/pricing
- usememos.com/
- usememos.com/features
- usememos.com/features/self-hosted
- usememos.com/features/open-source
- usememos.com/features/api-first
- usememos.com/web-clipper
- usememos.com/privacy
- usememos.com/docs/getting-started
- usememos.com/docs/faq
- usememos.com/docs/integrations
- usememos.com/docs/usage/spaces
- usememos.com/docs/usage/views
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Memos, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/memos
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Memos: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/memos
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/memos/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after Memos, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Memos’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Memos is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by The Memos project. Prices and plans change: check usememos.com before you buy.