Compare
Memos vs Notion
Choose Memos to write short memos without a page editor and keep them on your own server. Choose Notion for structured databases and team collaboration in the cloud.
Notion is a hosted workspace with pages, databases, and team collaboration. Memos goes the other way: a personal timeline of short memos, open source and running on a server you choose.
| At a glance | Memos | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| License | Open source (MIT) | Proprietary |
| Hosting | Self-hosted web server | Cloud SaaS (hosted by Notion) |
| Data ownership | Your database, zero telemetry | Stored on Notion's servers |
| Format | Written in Markdown | Blocks (Markdown import/export) |
| Best for | Short personal memos | Shared docs, wikis & databases |
| Cost | No license fee (you host) | Freemium; paid plans for teams |
The decision
Choose for the work in front of you.
Choose Memos when
You want your memos on your own server, with a ZIP export when you need it.
You want to write a quick memo without setting up a page or a database.
You want open-source software with no license fee.
Choose Notion when
You need structured databases, kanban boards, and rich documents.
You collaborate with a team in shared workspaces.
You prefer a managed cloud you do not have to operate.
Feature by feature
What each one actually does.
Memos answers honestly, including the rows where it says no.
| Feature | Memos | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | ||
| Open source | Yes.MIT license, developed in public on GitHub | No.Proprietary |
| Self-hosting | Yes.Docker image or a single binary on your server | No.Cloud only |
| Official hosted service | No.No official hosted plan; you run the instance | Yes.Notion is the hosted service |
| Where notes live | SQLite, MySQL, or PostgreSQL on your server | Notion's cloud |
| Price | No license fee; you pay for hosting | Free plan; paid plans per user |
| Writing | ||
| Markdown | Yes.Write in Markdown with live rendering, code blocks, and math | Partial.Block editor with Markdown shortcuts; Markdown export |
| Tags | Yes.Inline #tags, nested with a slash | Partial.Database properties; no global inline tags |
| Links between notes | Yes.Relations link memos to each other | Yes.Page links, backlinks, database relations |
| Attachments | Yes.Images and files, stored on disk or in S3 | Yes.Upload size limits on the free plan |
| Full-text search | Yes.Full-text search with tag, date, and visibility filters | Yes.Workspace search; AI search on paid plans |
| Reach | ||
| Works offline | No.Browser app; reading and writing need a reachable server | Partial.Recently opened pages only |
| Desktop app | Partial.Install the web app as a PWA; no official native app | Yes.Windows and macOS |
| 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.Cloud sync with real-time collaboration |
| Public sharing | Yes.Per-memo visibility: private, workspace, or public link | Yes.Publish pages to the web |
| Data | ||
| API and webhooks | Yes.REST and gRPC APIs, signed webhooks | Yes.Public REST API and webhooks |
| Import and export | Partial.ZIP export of Markdown and JSON; import from Memos exports only | Yes.Imports many formats; exports Markdown, CSV, HTML, PDF |
| End-to-end encryption | No.The server you run can read your memos; protect it with TLS and disk encryption | No.Encrypted in transit and at rest; Notion can read content |
Questions
Questions people ask.
Is Memos a self-hosted Notion alternative?
For short personal notes, yes. Memos replaces the quick-capture part of Notion on a server you run. It does not replace Notion's databases, team workspaces, or page editor.
Can I import Notion pages into Memos?
Not directly. Export from Notion as Markdown, then create memos through the Memos API or by pasting. Memos' built-in importer handles Memos exports only.
Is Memos free compared to Notion?
Memos has no license fee or per-user plan; you pay only for the server it runs on. Notion has a free plan and charges per user for paid features.
Keep exploring
Related comparisons and features.
More comparisons
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.