Evernote
Memos
| Feature | Evernote | Memos |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10.83/mo | Free / from $0/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 3.8 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | note-takers, researchers, professionals, knowledge-workers | self-hosters, quick-note-takers, journaling, privacy-focused-users |
| Founded | 2004 | 2022 |
| Notes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Web Clipper | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ocr | ✓ | ✗ |
| Notebooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tags | ✓ | ✓ |
| Search | ✓ | ✓ |
| Markdown | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Docker Deployment | ✗ | ✓ |
| Embed Resources | ✗ | ✓ |
| Timeline View | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Evernote Pros
- Great web clipper
- OCR for images
- Cross-platform
- Long track record
✗ Evernote Cons
- Expensive
- Feels outdated
- Very limited free plan (50 notes)
- Performance issues
✓ Memos Pros
- Completely free and open-source
- Lightweight and fast (single binary deployment)
- Twitter-like quick note interface
- Full data ownership with self-hosting
✗ Memos Cons
- No real-time collaboration features
- Limited organizational tools (no folders/hierarchy)
- Self-hosting required (no managed cloud option)
The Verdict
Evernote is built for note takers and researchers, with a focus on notes and web-clipper. Memos targets self hosters and quick note takers and leads with markdown and tags.
On pricing, Memos is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $0/mo compared to $10.83/mo for Evernote. That $10.83/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Memos edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 3.8). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Memos offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Evernote takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Memos has a slight overall edge — but if great web clipper matters most to you, Evernote may still be the right call.
