usememos/memos - Detailed Review#

1. Overview & GitHub Stats#

URL: https://github.com/usememos/memos
Stars: 43792

2. Project Description#

usememos/memos is a modern, open-source knowledge management and note-taking platform designed for users and organizations who prioritize privacy and data ownership. It provides a clean, minimalist interface for capturing thoughts, organizing ideas, and building personal knowledge bases—all while keeping your data securely on your own infrastructure.

3. What Software Does It Replace?#

memos serves as a compelling alternative to several popular note-taking and knowledge management platforms, including:

Notion (for personal knowledge management)
Evernote
OneNote
Bear Notes
Standard Notes
Commercial wiki platforms like Confluence (for lightweight use cases)

4. Core Functionality#

memos offers a robust set of features designed for efficient knowledge capture and organization:

Markdown Support: Full Markdown formatting with live preview
Tag System: Flexible tagging system for content organization
Search Functionality: Powerful full-text search across all memos
Privacy-First: All data stored locally with no external dependencies
Multi-User Support: Team collaboration capabilities
RESTful API: Programmatic access to your memos
SQLite Database: Lightweight, file-based database requiring no separate database server
Web-Based Interface: Accessible from any modern browser
Export Capabilities: Backup and export your data in multiple formats

5. Pros and Cons#

Pros:#

Complete Data Ownership: Your notes never leave your server
Lightweight: Minimal resource requirements compared to alternatives
Open Source: Transparent development and community-driven improvements
Easy to Deploy: Simple Docker-based installation
Clean UI: Intuitive, distraction-free interface
Active Development: Regular updates and growing community support

Cons:#

Self-Hosting Required: Requires technical knowledge to set up and maintain
Limited Mobile Experience: Web-based interface rather than native mobile apps
Fewer Integrations: Compared to established commercial alternatives
Basic Feature Set: Lacks some advanced features of mature platforms

6. Detailed Installation Guide (Self-host)#

Prerequisites:#

Ubuntu 20.04+ server (or any Linux distribution)
Docker and Docker Compose installed
Basic terminal/command line knowledge

Step-by-Step Installation:#

Update System Packages:
Terminal window
```
1
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
```

Install Docker (if not already installed):

1
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose -y
2
sudo systemctl enable docker
3
sudo systemctl start docker

Create Project Directory:
Terminal window
```
1
mkdir ~/memos && cd ~/memos
```

Create Docker Compose File:

1
nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following configuration:

1
version: "3.8"
2
services:
3
  memos:
4
    image: neosmemo/memos:latest
5
    container_name: memos
6
    ports:
7
      - "5230:5230"
8
    volumes:
9
      - ./data:/var/opt/memos
10
    restart: unless-stopped

Start the memos Container:
Terminal window
```
1
sudo docker-compose up -d
```
Verify Installation:
Terminal window
```
1
sudo docker ps
```
You should see the memos container running.
Access memos: Open your web browser and navigate to http://your-server-ip:5230
Initial Setup:
- Create your first admin account
- Start creating memos immediately

Optional: Reverse Proxy Setup (for domain access)#

For production use, consider setting up Nginx or Caddy as a reverse proxy with SSL encryption.

Maintenance:#

Backups: Regularly backup the ./data directory
Updates: Pull the latest image and restart the container:
Terminal window
```
1
cd ~/memos
2
sudo docker-compose pull
3
sudo docker-compose up -d
```

memos provides a powerful, privacy-focused alternative to commercial note-taking platforms, offering complete control over your data with minimal setup complexity.