Memos
osTicket
| Feature | Memos | osTicket |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $0/mo | Free / from $12/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
| Best For | self-hosters, quick-note-takers, journaling, privacy-focused-users | small-businesses, budget-conscious-teams, self-hosted-advocates, it-departments |
| Founded | 2022 | 2003 |
| Markdown | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tags | ✓ | ✗ |
| Search | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Docker Deployment | ✓ | ✗ |
| Embed Resources | ✓ | ✗ |
| Timeline View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ticket Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email Piping | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom Fields | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sla Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Agent Collision Avoidance | ✗ | ✓ |
| Knowledge Base | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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)
✓ osTicket Pros
- Completely free self-hosted version
- Active open-source community
- Highly customizable
- Supports multiple departments
✗ osTicket Cons
- Dated user interface
- Requires server management
- Limited automation compared to paid tools
The Verdict
Memos is built for self hosters and quick note takers, with a focus on markdown and tags. osTicket targets small businesses and budget conscious teams and leads with ticket-management and email-piping.
On pricing, Memos is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $0/mo compared to $12/mo for osTicket. That $12/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 4). 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 osTicket takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Memos has a slight overall edge — but if completely free self-hosted version matters most to you, osTicket may still be the right call.