Memou vs Apple Notes: Which Is Better for Quick Capture?
Let's address the obvious question first: Apple Notes is free, pre-installed, and works well. So why would anyone download a separate app for capturing notes?
The short answer: Apple Notes is great for writing. Memou is built for capturing. They solve different problems, and the difference matters more than you'd think.
The core difference
Apple Notes is a general-purpose writing tool. You open it, type or dictate, and organize manually. It's flexible and familiar.
Memou is a capture-first tool. You speak or screenshot, and AI organizes the output into structured memos and tasks. There's no blank page to stare at — just input and automatic structure.
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | Memou | Apple Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primary input | Voice, screenshot, clipboard | Typing, voice dictation |
| Time to capture | ~2 seconds | ~3-4 seconds |
| AI processing | Auto-extracts memos + tasks | None (manual organization) |
| Task extraction | Automatic from voice input | Manual checkbox creation |
| Organization | AI-categorized automatically | Manual folders |
| Offline | Yes | Yes |
| Cost | Free (premium tier available) | Free |
| Best for | Fast capture + auto-organize | Long-form writing + general notes |
Where Apple Notes wins
- Zero cost, forever. No subscription, no freemium limits.
- Rich text editing. Tables, checklists, drawings, document scanning.
- Deep iOS integration. Spotlight search, share sheet, Quick Note on iPad.
- Collaborative editing. Share notes with iCloud users.
If you're writing a long journal entry, drafting a document, or collaborating with someone, Apple Notes is excellent.
Where Memou wins
- Speed of capture. Memou is optimized for the moment an idea hits — no app navigation, no blank page.
- Voice-first design. Not just dictation (turning speech to text), but understanding (extracting meaning and action items).
- Automatic structure. You don't organize after capturing. AI does it during capture.
- Screenshot intelligence. Take a screenshot of an article, receipt, or whiteboard — AI pulls out the useful content.
- Task generation. Spoken action items become real tasks you can track, not just text in a note.
The real question: What's your bottleneck?
If your problem is "I need a place to write things down" — Apple Notes is perfect. It's already on your phone.
If your problem is "I have ideas and action items all day but they never get organized" — that's the gap Memou fills. The bottleneck isn't capturing (Apple Notes can do that) — it's the processing step between raw input and structured output.
They work well together
You don't have to choose one. Many users use Memou for fast daily captures (voice memos, screenshots, quick ideas) and Apple Notes for longer writing. Memou handles the inbox; Apple Notes handles the deep work.
Download Memou free on the App Store and see how AI-powered capture compares to your current workflow.