Memos vs Notabase
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted notes & knowledge base options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Memos
Lightweight self-hosted note and memo hub
VS
Notabase
Personal knowledge base for networked thinking
| Feature | Memos | Notabase |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Notes & Knowledge Base | Notes & Knowledge Base |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | source, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 62,093 | ★ 910 |
| First released | 2022 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Notion, Google Keep | Roam Research, Obsidian |
Why pick each one
Choose Notabase if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Memos or Notabase better?
Memos is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Notabase if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Memos and Notabase free and open-source?
Yes. Memos is licensed under MIT and Notabase under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Memos and Notabase with Docker?
Memos: yes. Notabase: check the project docs for container support.