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Memos vs Obsidian
Both keep your notes in Markdown, but they solve different problems. Memos is a self-hosted web app for fast, chronological capture you reach from any device. Obsidian is a local-first desktop and mobile app for building a densely linked knowledge base.
Side by side
The practical differences.
Compare the operating model and the daily workflow before comparing feature counts.
| Dimension | Memos | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| License | Open source (MIT) | Proprietary (free for personal use) |
| Hosting | Self-hosted web server | Local desktop & mobile app |
| Sync | Built in via your server | Paid Obsidian Sync or third-party |
| Format | Markdown-native | Markdown files on disk |
| Best for | Fast capture into a timeline | Linked knowledge base & graph |
| Cost | Free (you host) | Free personal; paid sync & commercial |
The decision
Choose for the work in front of you.
Choose Memos when
You want quick capture into a chronological feed, not a folder tree.
You want a self-hosted web app you reach from any device.
You want to share selected notes publicly without extra tooling.
Choose Obsidian when
You are building a densely linked knowledge base with backlinks and a graph view.
You work mostly offline on a single machine.
You rely on a large community plugin ecosystem.
Memos in detail
Inspect what matters.
Own your notes.
Install Memos and keep quick capture on your own server — open source, self-hosted, and free.