Special thanks to our sponsor:
# Memos
A modern, open-source, self-hosted knowledge management and note-taking platform designed for privacy-conscious users and organizations. Memos provides a lightweight yet powerful solution for capturing, organizing, and sharing thoughts with comprehensive Markdown support and cross-platform accessibility.
[](https://www.usememos.com)
[](https://www.usememos.com/docs)
[](https://demo.usememos.com/)
[](https://www.usememos.com/blog)
[](https://hub.docker.com/r/neosmemo/memos)
[](https://hub.docker.com/r/neosmemo/memos)
[](https://discord.gg/tfPJa4UmAv)
## Table of Contents
- [Table of Contents](#table-of-contents)
- [Overview](#overview)
- [Key Features](#key-features)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [Sponsors](#sponsors)
- [Contributing](#contributing)
- [Star History](#star-history)
## Overview
Memos is a lightweight, self-hosted alternative to cloud-based note-taking services. Built with privacy and performance in mind, it offers a comprehensive platform for personal knowledge management without compromising data ownership or security.
## Key Features
### Privacy & Security
- **Complete Data Ownership** — All data stored locally in your chosen database
- **Self-Hosted Architecture** — Full control over infrastructure and access policies
- **No External Dependencies** — Zero third-party services or cloud connections required
### Content Creation
- **Instant Save** — Streamlined plain text input with automatic persistence
- **Rich Markdown Support** — Full Markdown rendering with syntax highlighting
- **Media Integration** — Native support for images, links, and embedded content
### Performance & Technology
- **High-Performance Backend** — Built with Go for optimal resource utilization
- **Modern React Frontend** — Responsive, intuitive user interface
- **Lightweight Deployment** — Minimal system requirements, maximum efficiency
- **Cross-Platform** — Linux, macOS, Windows, and containerized environments
### Customization
- **Configurable Interface** — Custom branding, themes, and UI elements
- **API-First Design** — RESTful API for seamless third-party integrations
- **Multi-Database Support** — SQLite, PostgreSQL, and MySQL compatibility
### Cost-Effective
- **Open Source (MIT)** — Full source code availability with permissive licensing
- **Zero Subscription Fees** — No usage limits, premium tiers, or hidden costs
- **Community-Driven** — Transparent development with active community support
## Quick Start
Get Memos running in under 1 minutes with Docker:
```bash
docker run -d \
--name memos \
--restart unless-stopped \
-p 5230:5230 \
-v ~/.memos:/var/opt/memos \
neosmemo/memos:stable
```
Access Memos at `http://localhost:5230` and complete the initial setup.
**Alternative methods**: For Docker Compose, binary installation, or building from source, see our [Installation Guide](https://www.usememos.com/docs/installation).
**Pro Tip**: The data directory stores all your notes, uploads, and settings. Include it in your backup strategy!
### 🔒 Database Encryption (for SQLite)
Memos can protect its SQLite database with **SQLCipher** so that the on-disk file is unreadable without a passphrase. This is *encryption at rest*: the server keeps the key in memory while running, so it does not provide end-to-end encryption for clients.
> [!IMPORTANT]
> Losing the passphrase means losing your data. Store it safely (for example, in a password manager or a hardware secret vault).
#### Enable SQLCipher Builds
- **Docker (recommended)**
```bash
docker build \
--build-arg CGO_ENABLED=1 \
--build-arg MEMOS_BUILD_TAGS="memos_sqlcipher libsqlite3 sqlite_omit_load_extension" \
-t memos-sqlcipher \
-f scripts/Dockerfile .
docker run -d \
--name memos \
-p 5230:5230 \
-v ~/.memos:/var/opt/memos \
-e MEMOS_SQLITE_ENCRYPTION_KEY="your-super-secret-key" \
memos-sqlcipher
```
- **Manual build**
```bash
CGO_ENABLED=1 \
CGO_CFLAGS="-I/usr/include/sqlcipher -DSQLITE_HAS_CODEC" \
CGO_LDFLAGS="-lsqlcipher" \
go build -tags "memos_sqlcipher libsqlite3 sqlite_omit_load_extension" -o memos-sqlcipher ./bin/memos
./memos-sqlcipher --sqlite-encryption-key "your-super-secret-key" ...
```
#### Migration Plan for Existing Deployments
1. **Full backup**
```bash
cp ~/.memos/memos_prod.db ~/.memos/memos_prod.db.bak
cp ~/.memos/memos_prod.db-wal ~/.memos/memos_prod.db-wal.bak 2>/dev/null || true
cp ~/.memos/memos_prod.db-shm ~/.memos/memos_prod.db-shm.bak 2>/dev/null || true
```
2. **Stop every Memos instance** touching the database.
3. **Build the SQLCipher-capable binary or Docker image** using the instructions above. The resulting image already contains the `sqlcipher` CLI.
4. **Convert the database** using the SQLCipher CLI. You can do this without installing anything on the host:
```bash
docker run --rm \
-v ~/.memos:/data \
memos-sqlcipher \
sh -c "cd /data && sqlcipher memos_prod.db <<'EOS'\nATTACH DATABASE 'memos_encrypted.db' AS encrypted KEY 'your-super-secret-key';\nSELECT sqlcipher_export('encrypted');\nDETACH DATABASE encrypted;\nEOS"
```
If you prefer to run the command directly on the host, install `sqlcipher` (e.g. `brew install sqlcipher`, `apt install sqlcipher`) and execute the same `ATTACH ... sqlcipher_export` sequence locally.
6. **Swap the files**
```bash
mv memos_prod.db memos_prod.db.plaintext
mv memos_encrypted.db memos_prod.db
rm -f memos_prod.db-wal memos_prod.db-shm
```
7. **Start the SQLCipher build of Memos** and pass the same key (`MEMOS_SQLITE_ENCRYPTION_KEY` or `--sqlite-encryption-key`).
8. **Verify the upgrade**
- Log in and ensure your memos/attachments are intact.
- Confirm the file is encrypted: `sqlite3 memos_prod.db '.tables'` should now print `Error: file is not a database`.
## Sponsors
Memos is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors. Their contributions help ensure the project's continued development, maintenance, and growth.
Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference!
## Contributing
Memos welcomes contributions from developers, designers, and users worldwide. We value quality, innovation, and community feedback.
**Ways to Contribute:**
- Code contributions (bug fixes, features, performance improvements)
- Documentation and user guides
- Testing and bug reporting
- Localization and translation
- Community support
**Get Started**: [Contributing Guide](https://github.com/usememos/memos/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) • [Code of Conduct](https://github.com/usememos/memos/blob/main/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md)
## Star History
[](https://star-history.com/#usememos/memos&Date)
