Memos is a lightweight, self-hosted, open-source note-taking platform. Take full control of your data with Markdown support, todos, and team collaboration features.
Simple, efficient, and truly your own knowledge management powerhouse! In an era of information overload, we generate countless thoughts, ideas, and to-dos every day. Traditional note apps tend to be either overly complex or store your data on third-party servers. Now, a brand-new solution is changing all that — Memos, an open-source, self-hosted memo and note service that lets you maintain complete control over your data while enjoying a clean, efficient writing experience.
✨ What Is Memos and Why Should You Care?
Memos is an open-source, lightweight note service application that provides a private space for capturing your thoughts and ideas whenever inspiration strikes. Unlike traditional note apps, Memos supports private deployment, meaning you have full ownership of your data and privacy.
It's more than a note tool — it's a knowledge management and collaboration platform. Whether for personal use or team collaboration, Memos strikes the perfect balance: powerful enough to meet your needs, yet simple enough not to overwhelm.
Memos has earned over 75,000 stars on GitHub, a testament to its popularity and strong appeal within the developer community.
🌟 Core Features: More Than Just Text
🔒 Privacy First, Full Data Ownership
In a time when data privacy matters more than ever, Memos embraces a "privacy-first" design philosophy. All your data is securely stored in a local database — no worries about third-party platforms abusing or leaking your information.
⚡ Lightning-Fast Plain Text & Markdown Support
Memos delivers a fast plain-text writing experience with deep Markdown syntax support. Whether simple notes or complex formatted documents, Memos handles them with ease:
- 📝 Supports common Markdown elements like headings, lists, and code blocks
- 🏷️ Add tags for easy categorization and retrieval
- 🔗 Insert links directly — auto-recognized and formatted
📚 Flexible Content Type Management
Memos supports multiple content types for different recording scenarios:
- ✅ To-do items: Create task lists and check them off when done
- 💻 Code snippets: Save and share code using code blocks
- 🖼️ Image uploads: Paste screenshots or upload images directly
- 📎 Link bookmarks: Quickly save and organize important links
👥 Personal Use & Team Collaboration
Memos works great as a private memo app and also supports multi-user collaboration:
- 🔐 Toggle content visibility between public and private
- 👨💼 Invite team members to co-manage your knowledge base
- 💬 Comment and interact to foster team discussion
🎨 Highly Customizable Experience
Memos offers rich customization options:
- 🌓 Light and dark theme switching
- 🌐 Multi-language support (including English and Chinese)
- ⚙️ Custom server name and icon
🚀 Detailed Usage Guide: From Beginner to Pro
🛠️ Initial Setup & Basic Operations
After deploying Memos for the first time, visit http://localhost:5230 to access the main interface. After registering and logging in, it's recommended to switch the language and pick your preferred light or dark theme in Settings.
Create your first memo:
Type your content in the input box on the right and click "Save" to create it. Your memos will appear below in reverse chronological order.
💡 Efficient Recording Tips
Use Markdown to boost readability:
Type Markdown symbols in your note — for example, "# memos" creates a level-1 heading, while "## Hello Everyone" creates a level-2 heading.
Tag-based categorization:
Add tags like "#developer" inside your content to categorize entries for easier retrieval and organization later.
To-do list management:
Click the checkbox icon to insert a to-do item, for example "Drink 500ml of water" or "Eat the mango in the fridge." Once saved, two to-do items will appear, and you can check them off directly when completed.
🔍 Content Management & Search
Calendar view for tracking records:
The calendar view on the left is extremely useful — each highlighted date indicates you recorded content on that day, making it easy to browse your history.
Multi-device sync:
Memos supports cross-platform access. Log in to the same account on different devices to view the same content. This also makes it a handy file transfer tool — for instance, notes or images saved on one computer can be downloaded on another.
🎯 Advanced Features
Code snippet management:
Click the code block icon, paste your code, and submit — a formatted code block will be added to your content. Perfect for developers who want to organize and share snippets.
Permission control & sharing:
Each memo can be set to public or private, letting you control visibility as needed.
Team management:
In Settings → Members, you can add multiple user accounts and assign them to friends or colleagues. You can also enable options like "Disable user registration" in system settings to manage team access.
⚖️ Comparison With Similar Tools: Memos' Unique Advantages
The notes app market already includes Notion, Evernote, OneNote, and many more. What makes Memos stand out?
📊 Comparison With Traditional Note Apps
| Feature | Memos | Traditional Note Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Data Control | 🔒 Fully self-hosted, complete ownership | ☁️ Usually stored on vendor servers |
| Complexity | ⚡ Lightweight, focused on core recording | 🐌 Feature-heavy, steep learning curve |
| Cost | 💰 Completely free and open-source | 💸 Premium features typically require payment |
| Privacy | 🔐 Privacy-first design | 👀 Possible data scanning and analytics |
| Customization | 🎨 Highly customizable, fully open code | 📏 Limited to platform-provided features |
🤖 Positioning Differences From AI Memory Tools
In recent years, a wave of AI memory algorithm frameworks and products named "Mem-X" have emerged, such as Mem0, MemU, and MemOS. These tools mainly focus on providing memory plug-ins for AI, using smart filtering, structured storage, and efficient retrieval to give large language models a pluggable, optimizable "memory layer."
By contrast, Memos focuses on human knowledge recording and management needs, offering an intuitive, easy-to-use, AI-free pure space. You're not training an AI — you're building your own knowledge system.
💫 Tips & Best Practices
📝 Personal Knowledge Management Workflow
- ✨ Capture instantly: Use Memos' quick-launch feature to record ideas and inspiration anytime
- 🗂️ Review regularly: Revisit content weekly, add appropriate tags and categories
- 🔧 Deep processing: Turn fragmented notes into structured documents
- 🤝 Share & exchange: Share valuable content with your team or friends
👥 Team Collaboration Practices
- 🏷️ Create specific tags for different projects (e.g., #ProjectA, #DesignInspiration)
- ✅ Use the to-do feature to track task progress
- 💬 Leverage the comment feature for internal discussion and feedback
- 📊 Regularly organize the team knowledge base into institutional documents
💾 Data Backup & Migration
Although Memos supports data export, it's recommended to regularly back up the entire database directory to ensure data safety. For team use, consider setting up an automatic backup mechanism.
📥 Download, Installation & Deployment Guide
Memos offers multiple deployment options suitable for users with different technical backgrounds.
🐳 Docker Deployment (Easiest & Fastest)
If you already have Docker installed, start Memos with a single command:
`docker run -d --name memos -p 5230:5230 -v /home/docker/memos/:/var/opt/memos neosmemo/memos:latest`Once done, open http://localhost:5230 in your browser to access your Memos instance.
For production environments, Docker Compose is recommended for more flexible configuration and data persistence.
📦 Other Installation Methods
- Project page: Click here
- 📲 Pre-compiled binaries: Available for Linux, macOS, and Windows
- ☸️ Kubernetes: Provides Helm charts and manifests, ideal for cloud deployments
- 🔨 Build from source: For development and customization needs
🌐 Public Network Access Configuration
If you want to access your self-hosted Memos from outside your network, you can use an intranet penetration tool like cpolar to map the local port to a public address — then access your Memos service from anywhere.
🎊 Conclusion
With its clean design, powerful features, and privacy-respecting philosophy, Memos is an excellent choice for anyone seeking an efficient and secure recording tool. Whether you're looking for a private note-taking space or a small-team knowledge collaboration platform, Memos is well worth a try.
Unlike AI memory systems that try to log everything about you, Memos puts control entirely back in your hands — letting you build your own knowledge system without relying on overly complex algorithms.
Note: This is the English translation of the original Chinese version.