Local Markdown files you own
memrynote Yes
Tana No
Tana alternative
The Tana alternative with local Markdown files and privacy by default.
memrynote is a local-first, private alternative to Tana. Tana is a powerful supertag-driven outliner, but it lives in the cloud, is not end-to-end encrypted, and keeps your knowledge in a proprietary graph you can only fully use inside Tana. memrynote stores every note as a plain Markdown file in a folder you own, encrypts sync with XChaCha20-Poly1305 so the server only ever holds ciphertext, and works fully offline without an account. It ships notes with wiki-links and backlinks, tasks with projects and Kanban views, a calendar, a daily journal, and a capture inbox as first-class features — no schema to design first. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, is open source, and is free for local use.
memrynote vs Tana
Works fully offline
memrynote Yes
Tana Partial
End-to-end encryption
memrynote Yes
Tana No
Built-in tasks & projects
memrynote Yes
Tana Partial
Built-in calendar
memrynote Yes
Tana Partial
Daily journal / daily notes
memrynote Yes
Tana Yes
Supertags & flexible schema
memrynote Partial
Tana Yes
AI-native features
memrynote Partial
Tana Yes
Open source
memrynote Yes
Tana No
Comparison reflects each app’s native, out-of-the-box features as of mid-2026. Competitors may cover some rows through paid add-ons or third-party plugins.
Files you own
Every note is a plain .md file in a folder you control — not nodes locked inside a proprietary cloud graph.
Private by default
Zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption: the server only ever holds ciphertext and your keys never leave your devices.
No schema to design
Tasks, a calendar, a journal, and an inbox work out of the box — no supertags to model before you can start.
Offline & open
The whole workspace runs locally with no account, and the app is open source on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Is memrynote a good Tana alternative?
Yes, if you want privacy and portable files more than a cloud outliner. Tana is excellent at supertag-driven, database-style structure, but it stores your knowledge in a proprietary cloud graph and is not end-to-end encrypted. memrynote keeps every note as a plain Markdown file you own, encrypts sync so the server only holds ciphertext, and works fully offline. It also ships tasks, a calendar, and a journal as ready-made features, so you spend less time building schema and more time writing.
Plain Markdown files versus Tana’s cloud graph
Tana models everything as nodes and supertags inside its own cloud database — powerful, but your content only truly lives inside Tana, and export is limited. memrynote stores each note as a portable .md file in a folder you point to, readable in VS Code, iA Writer, or any editor, and versionable with git. Front-matter properties, wiki-links, and backlinks travel with the files, so your knowledge base is never trapped in one app.
A ready-made workspace, not a schema you build
In Tana, tasks, calendars, and dashboards are things you assemble from supertags and fields. memrynote ships them as dedicated features: task management with projects, statuses, subtasks, and Kanban, List, and Calendar views, plus a daily journal and a capture inbox. You get a complete daily workflow immediately, without designing a data model first.
Privacy, encryption, and offline access compared
Tana runs in the cloud and is not end-to-end encrypted, so the service can read your workspace, and full offline use is limited. memrynote is offline-first and encrypts every note on your device with XChaCha20-Poly1305 before sync, using zero-knowledge keys the server never receives. Local use needs no account or connection; encrypted sync is an optional upgrade, never a requirement to open your own notes.
Pricing: memrynote vs Tana
memrynote
Free, local-first forever. Encrypted sync from $5/mo.
Tana
Free plan available; paid plans from ~$10/mo (as of mid-2026).
Switch from Tana
- 1
In Tana, export your nodes to Markdown (or copy them out as plain text).
- 2
Open memrynote → Settings → Import, choose the Markdown importer, and select the exported .md files.
- 3
Your nodes arrive as plain Markdown notes; optionally enable end-to-end encrypted sync across your devices.
memrynote includes a built-in Markdown importer in Settings → Import.
Tana alternative FAQ
How are memrynote and Tana different?
Tana is a cloud supertag outliner that stores your knowledge as nodes in a proprietary graph and is not end-to-end encrypted. memrynote is local-first: every note is a plain Markdown file you own, sync is zero-knowledge encrypted, and it works fully offline. memrynote also bundles tasks, a calendar, and a journal as ready-made features rather than schema you design.
Can I move my Tana workspace to memrynote?
Yes. memrynote does not have a dedicated Tana importer, but it does have a built-in Markdown importer. Export your Tana nodes to Markdown, then open memrynote → Settings → Import, choose the Markdown importer, and select the files.
Is Tana end-to-end encrypted?
No. Tana runs in the cloud and is not end-to-end encrypted, so the service can technically read your workspace. memrynote encrypts every note on your device with XChaCha20-Poly1305 and zero-knowledge keys — the server only ever stores ciphertext.
Does memrynote work offline like a desktop app?
Yes. memrynote is offline-first: the full workspace — notes, tasks, calendar, journal — runs locally with no account and no connection. Sync is an optional encrypted upgrade.
Make the switch.
Notes, tasks, calendar, and journal in one local-first app — private by design, open at heart.