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Memos vs Standard Notes

Learn how Memos and Standard Notes differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these note-taking tools is best for you.

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Favicon of Memos

Memos

Memos is a self-hosted, open-source note-taking app built around a private timeline. Write in Markdown, skip the folder setup, and keep your data on your own server.
  • Stars


    60,313
  • Forks


    4,443
  • Last commit


    2 days ago
  • Repository age


    4 years
  • License


    MIT
  • Self-hosted


    Yes
View Repository

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Screenshot of Memos
Favicon of Standard Notes

Standard Notes

Cross-platform note-taking app with end-to-end encryption, offline access, and powerful organization features for privacy-conscious users.
  • Stars


    6,486
  • Forks


    533
  • Last commit


    5 days ago
  • Repository age


    9 years
  • License


    AGPL-3.0
  • Self-hosted


    Yes
View Repository

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Screenshot of Standard Notes

Detailed Comparison

Both Memos and Standard Notes have their unique strengths and serve similar purposes effectively. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.

Memos wins
Community & Popularity

Memos significantly outpaces Standard Notes in community adoption with 60,313 stars compared to 6,486 stars on GitHub. This 9.3x difference suggests Memos has a much larger and more active community. In terms of developer contributions, Memos has 4,443 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

Comparable
Development Activity

Both projects show recent activity, with Memos last updated 2 days ago and Standard Notes 5 days ago.

Comparable
Technology Stack

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, CSS, Bash, Typescript, JSX. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Memos uses Golang while Standard Notes leverages SCSS, C, Objective-C, Java, Ruby, Swift, Kotlin, MATLAB.

Standard Notes wins
Project Maturity

Standard Notes has been in development longer, starting 9 years ago, compared to Memos which began 4 years ago. This 5.1-year head start suggests Standard Notes may have more mature features and established processes.

Memos wins
Licensing

Memos uses the MIT license, which is more permissive than Standard Notes's AGPL-3.0 license, potentially offering greater flexibility for commercial use and integration.

Comparable
Use Cases & Features

Both tools serve similar use cases in Note-Taking, Secure & Encrypted Notes. However, they also have distinct specializations: Memos also focuses on Personal Knowledge Management (PKM).

Comparable
Hosting & Deployment

Both Memos and Standard Notes offer self-hosting capabilities, giving you full control over your data and infrastructure.