Memos
Standard Notes
| Feature | Memos | Standard Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $0/mo | Free / from $7.5/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | self-hosters, quick-note-takers, journaling, privacy-focused-users | privacy-focused-users, journalists, professionals, researchers |
| Founded | 2022 | 2016 |
| Markdown | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tags | ✓ | ✓ |
| Search | ✓ | ✗ |
| Api | ✓ | ✗ |
| Docker Deployment | ✓ | ✗ |
| Embed Resources | ✓ | ✗ |
| Timeline View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Encryption | ✗ | ✓ |
| Themes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Editors | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Attachments | ✗ | ✓ |
| Two Factor Auth | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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)
✓ Standard Notes Pros
- End-to-end encrypted
- 100-year company promise
- Cross-platform
- Open-source
✗ Standard Notes Cons
- Basic free version
- Fewer features than Notion
- Limited formatting
The Verdict
Memos is built for self hosters and quick note takers, with a focus on markdown and tags. Standard Notes targets privacy focused users and journalists and leads with encryption and themes.
On pricing, Memos is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $0/mo compared to $7.5/mo for Standard Notes. That $7.5/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.
Feature-wise, Memos offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Standard Notes takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for privacy focused users — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.