BenchRank
#3 in Notes & Knowledge ManagementUpdated 2026-08

Memos

by Memos · Self-hosted Markdown timeline for quick notes and snippets

68.8 — BenchRank score out of 100

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Overview

Memos is an open-source, self-hosted note-taking app that keeps notes as a timeline rather than a folder tree. Every memo is written and stored as plain Markdown with tags, search, visibility controls and API access, and you run it yourself with a single Docker command. It stores data in SQLite by default, with MySQL and PostgreSQL supported for larger deployments.

Best for
Self-hosters and developers who want fast Markdown note capture on infrastructure they control.
Pricing
Free: the software costs $0 under the MIT licence, with no subscriptions, seat fees or usage fees; your only costs are the server, domain and backups you choose.
Runs on
Self-hosted

Strengths and trade-offs

Strengths

  • MIT licensed and $0: no seat, note or API usage fees
  • One Docker command to deploy on a VPS, NAS or Raspberry Pi
  • Notes written and stored as plain Markdown, so they stay portable
  • SQLite by default, with MySQL and PostgreSQL for larger deployments

Trade-offs

  • You supply and pay for the server, domain and backups yourself
  • No hosted service — self-hosting is the only way to run it
  • Deliberately small: a timeline, not a workspace or second brain
  • Community support via GitHub and Discord; no commercial plan exists

How this score is made up

Each dimension is scored out of 100 and combined into the headline score using fixed weights.

MCP support
60 out of 100
API quality
20 out of 100
Documentation
90 out of 100
Agent friendliness
100 out of 100
Pricing transparency
100 out of 100
Changelog
100 out of 100
Marketing site structure
80 out of 100
Operational trust
0 out of 100

Measured, but not part of the score

Useful to know, but not a mark for or against the product — so these do not affect the ranking.

Openness
85 out of 100
Maintenance
100 out of 100

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