What it is

Memos is an open-source, self-hosted note-taking tool designed for rapid capture of short-form content like daily logs, links, code snippets, and microblog-style entries. It lives in the Go ecosystem and uses a Markdown-native, timeline-based interface. Unlike traditional note apps that enforce folders or rigid templates, Memos prioritizes speed and simplicity: users write in Markdown, attach media, and save without selecting titles or locations.

It solves the problem of fragmented or vendor-locked note-taking by offering a lightweight, privacy-first alternative to platforms like Notion. Users retain full control over their data, avoid telemetry, and deploy Memos on infrastructure they manage—ideal for those who want a personal knowledge base without the bloat of feature-rich but complex workspaces.

Key capabilities

• Markdown-native note creation with inline media attachment
• Chronological timeline view for chronological note browsing
• Tag-based organization and search across memos
• Selective sharing: mark individual memos as public or private
• Web Clipper browser extension for saving pages and selections as Markdown
• Persistent storage via mounted volume (/var/opt/memos)
• Zero telemetry and MIT-licensed source code

Who uses it and how

• Developers and technical writers use it as a personal log for daily work snippets, code snippets, and quick research notes
• Researchers and students capture and organize links, paper highlights, and reading notes in a timeline format
• Privacy-conscious users deploy it self-hosted to avoid third-party data handling while maintaining a social microblog-like feed

Getting started

Deploy using the official Docker image neosmemo/memos:stable with a single docker run command, mounting ~/.memos for data persistence. Alternatively, follow the deployment guide for binary or manual installation. A live demo is available at https://demo.usememos.com/.

When to use it — and when not to

Use Memos when you need a fast, minimal, self-hosted tool for short-form notes without complex hierarchies or collaboration features. Avoid it if you require advanced features like relational databases, team workspaces, or built-in AI assistance. Self-hosting requires managing a database (SQLite by default), storage for attachments, and optionally SMTP for notifications—though SMTP is not required for core operation. It trades richness for simplicity, making it unsuitable for large-scale knowledge management or structured documentation.

docker run -d \
  --name memos \
  -p 5230:5230 \
  -v ~/.memos:/var/opt/memos \
  neosmemo/memos:stable