Compare
Mem is a knowledge graph. Amanu is the layer that fills your existing apps.
Mem built an impressive AI-powered notebook for people who type. Amanu is voice-first capture for people who don't want yet another notebook to maintain.
Who Mem is for
PKM enthusiasts. People who want one place for every note, with auto-linking and AI search across the whole archive. Knowledge workers whose primary failure mode is not finding something they wrote.
Who Amanu is for
People whose problem isn't search — it's capture. They already have Reminders for todos, Calendar for events, Apple Notes for thoughts. They don't want a parallel knowledge graph; they want one less app to open. Amanu fills the apps they have, not a new one.
How they compare, side by side
| What you need | Amanu | Mem |
|---|---|---|
| Capture style | Voice-first | Type-first |
| Where things end up | Apple Reminders, Calendar, private timeline | Inside Mem |
| Knowledge graph / auto-linking | Limited (people graph only) | Strong |
| Pre-capture privacy disclosure | Yes — every processor named | Standard ToS |
Where Amanu wins
Voice-first. Mem is type-first; voice is a bolted-on convenience.
Captures route into Apple's destination apps automatically. Mem keeps everything inside Mem.
Pre-capture consent on every third-party AI processor. Mem's privacy posture is industry-standard ToS; Amanu's is plain-English disclosure on the consent screen, before anything records.
Where Mem wins
If your capture is a long-form typed thought and you want it linked into a graph automatically, Mem does that.
Cross-platform. Mem is web + Mac + iOS. Amanu is iPhone-first.
If you live inside one notebook by choice, Mem is built around that workflow. Amanu deliberately isn't a notebook.
The honest call
If you want one app to hold every note and find anything, use Mem. If you want one orb to capture and have iOS sort, use Amanu. Different shape of the problem.
Common questions
Why isn't Amanu a knowledge base?
Because most people already have a list, calendar and journal they trust. They don’t want a parallel notebook to maintain. Amanu fills the apps you have rather than asking you to live in a new one.
Can I use both?
Yes — Amanu captures, Mem stores. Most overlap is in the journal layer; Amanu’s timeline is lighter, Mem’s graph is deeper.