Compare
Memos vs Obsidian
Choose Memos if you want to write short memos into a timeline on your own server. Choose Obsidian if you want local Markdown files, backlinks, and a graph view on your own devices.
Both use Markdown, but they solve different problems. Memos is a personal timeline of short, untitled memos, self-hosted on a server you reach from any browser. Obsidian is a local-first desktop and mobile app for building a vault of densely linked notes.
| At a glance | Memos | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| License | Open source (MIT) | Proprietary (free to use) |
| Hosting | Self-hosted web server | Local desktop & mobile app |
| Sync | Server-based; open it in any browser | Paid Obsidian Sync or third-party |
| Format | Written in Markdown, stored in a database | Markdown files on disk |
| Best for | Short memos in a timeline | Linked notes & graph view |
| Cost | No license fee (you host) | Free; paid Sync & Publish add-ons |
The decision
Choose for the work in front of you.
Choose Memos when
You want to write short, untitled memos into a timeline, not file pages into folders.
You want one self-hosted web app you reach from any browser.
You want to share a single memo publicly or by link without extra tooling.
Choose Obsidian when
You are building long, densely linked notes with backlinks and a graph view.
You want local files and full offline use on your own devices.
You rely on a large community plugin ecosystem.
Feature by feature
What each one actually does.
Memos answers honestly, including the rows where it says no.
| Feature | Memos | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | ||
| Open source | Yes.MIT license, developed in public on GitHub | No.Proprietary; free for personal and commercial use |
| Self-hosting | Yes.Docker image or a single binary on your server | Partial.Nothing to host; sync through git or your own storage |
| Official hosted service | No.No official hosted plan; you run the instance | Yes.Obsidian Sync and Publish, paid |
| Where notes live | SQLite, MySQL, or PostgreSQL on your server | Markdown files in a local folder |
| Price | No license fee; you pay for hosting | Free; paid Sync and Publish add-ons |
| Writing | ||
| Markdown | Yes.Write in Markdown with live rendering, code blocks, and math | Yes.Markdown files on disk |
| Tags | Yes.Inline #tags, nested with a slash | Yes.Inline #tags with nesting |
| Links between notes | Yes.Relations link memos to each other | Yes.Wikilinks, backlinks, graph view |
| Attachments | Yes.Images and files, stored on disk or in S3 | Yes.Files stored inside the vault folder |
| Full-text search | Yes.Full-text search with tag, date, and visibility filters | Yes.Full-text search with operators |
| Reach | ||
| Works offline | No.Browser app; reading and writing need a reachable server | Yes.Local-first; works fully offline |
| 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 | Partial.Paid Obsidian Sync, or iCloud, git, and plugins |
| Public sharing | Yes.Per-memo visibility: private, workspace, or public link | Partial.Obsidian Publish, paid, or third-party tools |
| Data | ||
| API and webhooks | Yes.REST and gRPC APIs, signed webhooks | Partial.Plugin API and URI scheme; no web API |
| Import and export | Partial.ZIP export of Markdown and JSON; import from Memos exports only | Yes.Plain files; importer plugin for other apps |
| End-to-end encryption | No.The server you run can read your memos; protect it with TLS and disk encryption | Partial.Obsidian Sync is end-to-end encrypted; local files are plain |
Questions
Questions people ask.
Is Memos an open-source alternative to Obsidian?
Partly. Both write Markdown, but Obsidian is a local app for long linked notes and Memos is a self-hosted web timeline for short ones. Memos is MIT-licensed; Obsidian is proprietary but free to use.
Can I move my Obsidian vault into Memos?
Not with a built-in importer. Memos imports only its own export format today. You can paste notes or script the REST API to create memos from your Markdown files.
Does Memos work offline like Obsidian?
No. Memos runs in the browser and needs a reachable server to read and write. Obsidian stores files on the device and works fully offline.
Keep exploring
Related comparisons and features.
More comparisons
- Memos vs LogseqA server-side timeline of memos vs. a local outliner built on blocks and backlinks.
- Memos vs BearSelf-hosted Markdown memos in any browser vs. a polished Markdown app for Apple devices.
- Memos vs AnytypeA simple server-side timeline vs. a local-first, encrypted object database for everything.
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.