Memos documentation notes that database-backed attachments are simple but make the database larger and backups heavier. Community reports also show that thousands of attached images can expose scaling problems sooner than text-only memo counts.
Users treating Memos as a photo-heavy journal, clip archive or team knowledge feed.Memos Hardware Requirements: CPU, RAM, Database & Attachment Storage
Learn Memos CPU, RAM, SQLite, PostgreSQL, attachment and backup requirements, then choose suitable ZimaOS hardware.
Memos requirements at a glance
Memos does not publish a numerical CPU or RAM minimum. The current project describes itself as lightweight and ships as a single Go application with a React frontend, while supporting SQLite, MySQL and PostgreSQL. For a personal or small-team instance, database choice, attachments and backup design matter more than raw compute.
- CPU
- No numerical official minimum. Memos is lightweight for normal note capture, browsing and search; CPU demand rises with more users, API activity, larger datasets and external database/storage operations.
- RAM
- No numerical official minimum. Third-party hosting guides publish widely different low-end figures, so they should not be promoted into a Memos specification.
- Database
- SQLite is the official default and best fit for most personal or small-team single-node deployments. MySQL or PostgreSQL are supported for managed/larger deployments and more operational flexibility.
- Attachments
- Attachments can live in the database, local filesystem or S3-compatible object storage. Database storage is simplest for small deployments; local/S3 storage reduces database growth for media-heavy instances.
- Storage
- Persist `/var/opt/memos` in the recommended Docker deployment. Notes may remain small, but images and other attachments can dominate storage and backup size.
- Best Zima starting point
- ZimaBoard 2 832 is far above the needs of a normal personal or family Memos instance. Move to 1664 or ZimaCube 2 for a larger Productivity stack, external databases, attachment storage or broader multi-drive workloads.
From official requirements to the right setup
Memos sizing starts with database and attachment architecture rather than a guessed RAM number.
-
Official requirements
Start with the official single-node path: one Memos container or binary with SQLite and a persistent data directory. This is the simplest and officially recommended pattern for most personal deployments or small teams.
-
Confirm your needs
Decide where attachments live. Database storage is simple to back up, while local filesystem or S3-compatible storage is better suited when images/files become a significant part of the instance.
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Leave room to grow
Scale the database only when the workload justifies it. Memos documentation recommends MySQL/PostgreSQL when you want managed backups/tooling, larger datasets, external database hosting or additional operational control.
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Run it on ZimaOS
Install Memos from the ZimaOS App Store, import or create a representative memo/attachment set, test search and backup/restore, then monitor database size, attachment growth and actual memory before changing hardware.
Check every playback client
- Personal instance versus small-team use
- SQLite versus MySQL/PostgreSQL
- Memo count and search workload
- Number and size of image/file attachments
- Database, local filesystem or S3 attachment backend
- API, webhooks and integrations
- Backup/restore strategy for database plus attachments
- Other Productivity services sharing the ZimaOS host
Official minimum requirements
The current Memos documentation calls the application lightweight but does not publish a numerical host CPU, RAM or disk-capacity minimum.
Do not turn a third-party 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB or 1 GB deployment suggestion into an official Memos requirement. Use SQLite plus persistent storage as the normal starting point and scale from real users, attachments and database behavior.
| Requirement | Official minimum | What this supports |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | No numerical minimum published | Official documentation describes Memos as lightweight but does not specify cores or clock speed. |
| RAM | No numerical minimum published | No official host-memory floor is published. |
| Default database | SQLite | Officially recommended for most personal deployments or small teams running one node. |
| Larger/managed database options | MySQL and PostgreSQL | Use when larger datasets or more operational controls justify an external DB service. |
| Docker data path | /var/opt/memos | The current recommended Docker quick start mounts persistent data here. |
| Default Docker port | 5230 | The current official quick-start container exposes Memos on port 5230. |
When to upgrade your hardware
Upgrade Memos when data architecture or the wider Productivity stack—not basic note capture—creates measurable pressure.
A media-heavy memo archive makes the database and backups large
SQLite write contention or operational requirements become limiting
Memos shares the host with more Productivity services
Memos says SQLite is appropriate for one-node modest datasets, while MySQL/PostgreSQL are better when you want larger datasets, managed tooling or a database outside the app host.
Growing teams or more operationally managed deployments.Reverse proxy, databases, file storage, backup, search and monitoring can consume far more resources than Memos itself.
All-in-one ZimaOS Productivity servers.Plan hardware growth with confidence
Scale Memos by keeping storage and database topology proportional to actual content.
Keep SQLite for a normal one-node instance
Memos enables WAL and a busy timeout by default and calls SQLite the best fit for most personal/small-team single-node deployments.
ZimaBoard 2 832 has ample CPU/RAM for this pattern.Move attachments out of the database when media grows
Local filesystem or S3-compatible attachment storage keeps large file assets independent from the main database and can make database backups smaller.
Use local SATA/multi-drive or S3 storage when attachment volume—not memo text—drives capacity.Move to MySQL/PostgreSQL for operational reasons, not marketing scale
An external DB adds another service, network path and backup system. Adopt it when concurrency, tooling or dataset/operations justify that complexity.
Leave additional memory and durable app/database storage for the new service.Test backup and restore before expanding the instance
Official Memos backup guidance requires the database plus any local attachment storage and deployment configuration. SQLite online backups should use SQLite's `.backup` behavior to handle WAL safely.
Keep backups outside the live appdata path and verify a restore.Can it run on ZimaOS?
Memos is currently available in the ZimaOS App Store under Productivity.
Install Memos from the ZimaOS App Store
Use the packaged lightweight note-taking application and keep the data directory persistent.
Open Memos in the ZimaOS App StoreStart with SQLite unless you have a reason not to
Memos currently recommends SQLite for most personal and small-team single-node deployments.
Read Memos database guidanceBack up attachments according to their backend
Database-backed attachments follow the DB backup; local filesystem and S3 assets require their own recovery plan.
Read Memos backup and restore guidanceChoose Zima hardware for Memos
Memos is lightweight. Choose more Zima hardware for attachments, database services, backups and the rest of the Productivity stack rather than memo count alone.
Is Memos a personal/small-team notes service or part of a larger Productivity/storage platform?
Personal or small-team Memos
ZimaBoard 2 832 provides very large headroom for a normal SQLite deployment.
- Personal/family MemosZimaBoard 2 832
- Memos plus more Productivity/database servicesZimaBoard 2 1664
Media-heavy notes or large all-in-one server
Move to ZimaCube for integrated storage and the broader application/database stack.
- Multi-drive Productivity/storage serverZimaCube 2 Standard
- Larger database/storage and 10GbE workflowZimaCube 2 Pro
There is no official Memos CPU/RAM minimum or fixed users-per-server benchmark. Database backend, attachments, integrations, search behavior and co-hosted services can materially change resource use.
| Zima hardware | Best for | Example workload | Core configuration | Recommended boundary | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZimaBoard 2 832 | A personal/family or small-team Memos instance. | SQLite Memos, normal search and modest image/file attachments. |
|
Large media archives or many other services can make storage/database architecture more important than Memos CPU. | Get Now |
| ZimaBoard 2 1664 | Memos plus external DB, backup and more Productivity containers. | Larger all-in-one application stack and more memory headroom. |
|
16 GB is whole-server capacity; Memos does not require 16 GB. | Get Now |
| ZimaCube 2 Standard | A multi-drive Productivity server where Memos stores or references many local assets. | Memos plus attachments, backups and broader local storage. |
|
Choose it for integrated storage/application consolidation, not because Memos requires Core-class compute. | Get Now |
| ZimaCube 2 Pro | A larger all-in-one Productivity/database/storage platform. | More services, local data movement and 10GbE-capable storage workflows. |
|
10GbE benefits the wider platform rather than ordinary memo browsing. | Get Now |
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Frequently asked questions
These FAQ topics follow query fan-out around low-memory hosting, SQLite versus PostgreSQL/MySQL, attachment scaling, image-heavy performance and recoverable backups. Reddit is used to identify recurring real-world concerns, not to define official minimums.
How much RAM does Memos need?
Memos does not publish an official RAM minimum. Third-party deployment guides give widely different low-end numbers, which is exactly why they should not be presented as a Memos specification. A modern 8 GB ZimaBoard 2 has abundant headroom for a normal instance.
Why do some Memos hosting guides say 128 or 256 MB while others recommend 512 MB or 1 GB?
Those are provider or tutorial sizing choices, not official requirements. Workload, database backend, container overhead and attachment behavior differ, so Memos' own documentation avoids a universal RAM floor.
Is SQLite enough for Memos?
Yes for most personal deployments and small teams on one instance. Memos officially calls SQLite the default and best fit when one node handles writes and the dataset is modest.
When should Memos use PostgreSQL or MySQL?
Use an external database when you want managed backup/tooling, already operate a database server, expect larger datasets or need more operational flexibility. It is not automatically required just because you have many notes.
Why can a Memos instance with many images become slower even on a powerful server?
Image-heavy deployments increase database or attachment-storage size, backup/recovery work and browser/network load. An older Reddit stress test with roughly 1,800 image posts showed poor scaling even on a strong host; that is workload evidence, not a universal limit.
Should Memos attachments live in the database, local storage or S3?
Database storage is simplest for small deployments. Local storage works well when you control persistent volumes, while S3-compatible storage is useful when you expect many/larger uploads or want assets independent from the application host.
Can I back up Memos by copying only the SQLite database?
Only if all required attachments are actually stored in the database. Official backup guidance says to back up the database plus local attachment storage and deployment configuration. For a live SQLite database, use SQLite's online `.backup` command or stop the service before copying.
Can ZimaBoard 2 832 run Memos?
Yes. Its Intel N150 and 8 GB RAM provide far more capacity than a normal Memos deployment requires; database, attachment storage and the other ZimaOS services are more likely to determine future upgrades.
What sources and further reading informed this Memos hardware guide?
Memos' official documentation and repository establish the lightweight Go deployment, SQLite/MySQL/PostgreSQL support and Docker data path. The Database, Storage and Backup pages define the actual scaling decisions around write contention, attachment backends and recovery. Reddit was used for query fan-out around image-heavy scaling rather than as an official benchmark. The ZimaOS App Store confirms the current Productivity package.
