Compare
Memos vs Joplin
Choose Memos for a self-hosted timeline of short memos you open in any browser. Choose Joplin for end-to-end encrypted notebooks and offline native clients.
Memos and Joplin are both open source, use Markdown, and can be self-hosted. Memos is a web-based personal timeline of short, untitled memos. Joplin is a notebook system with end-to-end encrypted sync across native desktop and mobile apps.
| At a glance | Memos | Joplin |
|---|---|---|
| License | Open source (MIT) | Open source (AGPL-3.0) |
| Hosting | Self-hosted web server | Local apps + self-hostable sync |
| Sync | Server-based; open it in any browser | End-to-end encrypted sync |
| Format | Markdown memos with tags | Markdown notes & notebooks |
| Best for | Short memos in a timeline | Encrypted notebooks across devices |
| Cost | No license fee (you host) | Free; optional paid Joplin Cloud |
The decision
Choose for the work in front of you.
Choose Memos when
You prefer writing into a timeline and adding tags later over filing notes into notebooks.
You want a web-first instance you host once and reach anywhere.
You want to share selected memos publicly in a microblog-style feed.
Choose Joplin when
You need end-to-end encrypted sync across native apps.
You organize notes into notebooks and sub-notebooks.
You want fully offline desktop and mobile clients.
Feature by feature
What each one actually does.
Memos answers honestly, including the rows where it says no.
| Feature | Memos | Joplin |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | ||
| Open source | Yes.MIT license, developed in public on GitHub | Yes.AGPL-3.0 |
| Self-hosting | Yes.Docker image or a single binary on your server | Yes.Joplin Server with Docker |
| Official hosted service | No.No official hosted plan; you run the instance | Yes.Joplin Cloud, paid |
| Where notes live | SQLite, MySQL, or PostgreSQL on your server | Local SQLite on each device, synced to a target you choose |
| Price | No license fee; you pay for hosting | Free; paid Joplin Cloud optional |
| Writing | ||
| Markdown | Yes.Write in Markdown with live rendering, code blocks, and math | Yes.Markdown, with an optional rich-text editor |
| Tags | Yes.Inline #tags, nested with a slash | Yes.Tags per note; no nesting |
| Links between notes | Yes.Relations link memos to each other | Yes.Links between notes; backlinks through plugins |
| Attachments | Yes.Images and files, stored on disk or in S3 | Yes.Files stored as resources |
| Full-text search | Yes.Full-text search with tag, date, and visibility filters | Yes.Full-text search, including OCR on images and PDFs |
| Reach | ||
| Works offline | No.Browser app; reading and writing need a reachable server | Yes.Local-first native apps |
| Desktop app | Partial.Install the web app as a PWA; no official native app | Yes.Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Mobile app | Partial.PWA on iOS and Android, plus community-built apps | Yes.iOS and Android |
| Cross-device sync | Yes.The server is the source of truth, so every device sees the same memos | Yes.Joplin Cloud, Joplin Server, Nextcloud, WebDAV, Dropbox, OneDrive, S3 |
| Public sharing | Yes.Per-memo visibility: private, workspace, or public link | Partial.Publish notes through Joplin Cloud or Joplin Server |
| Data | ||
| API and webhooks | Yes.REST and gRPC APIs, signed webhooks | Yes.Local data API used by the web clipper; no webhooks |
| Import and export | Partial.ZIP export of Markdown and JSON; import from Memos exports only | Yes.Imports Evernote ENEX and Markdown; exports JEX, Markdown, PDF |
| End-to-end encryption | No.The server you run can read your memos; protect it with TLS and disk encryption | Yes.Optional end-to-end encryption for sync |
Questions
Questions people ask.
Memos or Joplin for self-hosting?
Both self-host. Memos is one container that serves the whole app in the browser. Joplin Server only syncs; you still install Joplin's native apps on each device.
Does Memos encrypt notes end to end like Joplin?
No. Memos stores memos readably in the database on your server, so protect the server itself. Joplin can encrypt notes before they leave the device.
Can I import Joplin notes into Memos?
There is no Joplin importer. Export Joplin notes as Markdown and create memos through the Memos API, or paste the ones you still need.
Keep exploring
Related comparisons and features.
More comparisons
- Memos vs Standard NotesA plain self-hosted timeline vs. an end-to-end encrypted notes service you can also self-host.
- Memos vs Trilium NotesA flat timeline of short memos vs. a deep tree of hierarchical notes, both on your server.
- Memos vs Nextcloud NotesA standalone memo timeline vs. Markdown files inside a Nextcloud you already run.
Memos in detail
Start here
Start with one memo.
Install Memos on a server you choose and write your first memo. Open source under MIT, with no license fee.