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# After testing every OneNote alternative, this self-hosted tool is the only one I trust with my data

**[XDA Developers](https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers)** · 4 min read · 1 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

Memos, a self-hosted note-taking app, is presented as a practical OneNote alternative for users who want full data control. It runs from a single Docker container, stores notes in a local SQLite database, and requires no account or cloud connectivity. The interface resembles Google Keep with a timeline layout, inline tags, and drag-and-drop attachments. Key selling points are its simplicity, zero telemetry, no AI features wired in by default, and trivial backup via folder copy. It's best suited for quick capture and reference snippets rather than team notebooks or wiki-style use.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://www.xda-developers.com/tested-every-onenote-alternative-self-hosted-tool-is-only-one-i-trust-with-my-data>

## Questions this post answers

### How do I self-host the Memos note-taking app with Docker?

Run a single docker command specifying a container name, restart policy, port mapping (5230:5230), a volume pointing to a local folder, and the neosmemo/memos:stable image. After the container starts, Memos is accessible at localhost with no email verification, just an initial admin username and password setup.

_Developers weighing self-hosted note tools against OneNote can find setup breakdowns like this on daily.dev._

### What database does Memos use to store notes, and where is the data kept?

Memos stores everything in a SQLite database file by default, located in whatever folder the Docker volume is mapped to on the host machine. This means backing up notes is as simple as copying that folder, with no proprietary export format or reconfiguration needed.

_Anyone evaluating data ownership in self-hosted apps can track details like this on daily.dev._

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- [Memos is the dumbest note app I've ever self-hosted, and that's exactly why I use it daily](https://daily.dev/posts/memos-is-the-dumbest-note-app-i-ve-ever-self-hosted-and-that-s-exactly-why-i-use-it-daily-tfrz2ehho) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments
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---

Tags: [#docker](https://daily.dev/tags/docker), [#self-hosting](https://daily.dev/tags/self-hosting), [#sqlite](https://daily.dev/tags/sqlite)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/after-testing-every-onenote-alternative-this-self-hosted-tool-is-the-only-one-i-trust-with-my-data-trunhmchr)

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