Coda
Docs, tables, and apps combined into one collaborative workspace
Memos
Self-hosted, privacy-first note-taking platform with full Markdown support
Memos offers a lightweight, self-hosted knowledge base with instant saving, rich Markdown, media embedding, and cross-platform access, ensuring full data ownership and zero external dependencies.
Overview
Overview
Memos is a self-hosted knowledge-management platform built for users who value privacy and performance. It stores every memo locally in a database you choose—SQLite, PostgreSQL, or MySQL—so you retain full ownership and can back up the data directory at any time.
Capabilities
The interface offers instant-save plain-text entry with rich Markdown rendering, syntax highlighting, and native media embedding. A modern React front-end delivers a responsive experience across Linux, macOS, Windows, or any Docker-compatible host. An API-first design lets developers create, read, update, and delete memos programmatically, while configurable themes and branding let organizations tailor the look and feel.
Deployment
Memos can be launched in under a minute using the official Docker image, or installed as a binary on supported operating systems. Minimal system requirements and a single-container footprint keep resource usage low, making it suitable for personal servers, small-team intranets, or edge devices.
Highlights
Complete data ownership with self-hosted architecture
Rich Markdown rendering with instant save
High-performance Go backend and responsive React UI
Multi-database support (SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL) and Docker deployment
Pros
- Zero third-party services ensures privacy
- Lightweight resource usage
- Cross-platform and container ready
- Extensible API for integrations
Considerations
- Self-hosting requires own infrastructure
- Limited built-in collaboration features compared to cloud services
- Initial setup may be technical for non-dev users
- Feature set focused on notes, not full project management
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider Memos, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Privacy-focused individuals or teams needing full control over notes
- Organizations that prefer on-premise knowledge bases
- Developers looking for a Go-backed, API-first note service
- Users who want Markdown-centric note taking without subscription fees
Not ideal when
- Teams requiring real-time collaborative editing
- Users seeking extensive task-management or calendar integration
- Environments without ability to run Docker or maintain a server
- Those preferring a turnkey SaaS solution with built-in support
How teams use it
Personal knowledge repository
Capture, organize, and retrieve research notes securely on a local machine.
Internal documentation for a small company
Host a private wiki for policies, SOPs, and project notes accessible via web browser.
Developer API documentation
Store and serve API specs in Markdown, leveraging the REST API for integration with CI pipelines.
Meeting minutes archive
Record, tag, and share meeting summaries with media attachments, searchable across the organization.
Tech snapshot
Go54%
TypeScript43%
CSS2%
Shell1%
Dockerfile1%
HTML1%
Frequently asked questions
How is data stored and backed up?
All notes, uploads, and settings are saved in the chosen database (SQLite, PostgreSQL, or MySQL) within the mounted data directory; backing up that directory preserves everything.
Do I need an internet connection to use Memos?
No. Once deployed locally, Memos runs entirely offline; external connectivity is only required for initial image download or updates.
Can I integrate Memos with other tools?
Yes. Memos provides a RESTful API that allows CRUD operations on memos, enabling integration with scripts, bots, or third-party applications.
What platforms are supported for deployment?
Memos can be run on Linux, macOS, Windows, or any environment that supports Docker; binary installations are also available for the major OSes.
Is there a cost to use Memos?
Memos is released under the MIT license, free to use, modify, and distribute with no subscription fees.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 55,072
- Watchers
- 55,072
- Forks
- 3,948
LicenseMIT
Repo age4 years old
Last commit15 hours ago
Self-hostingSupported
Primary languageGo
Last synced 10 hours ago