What is Melo used for?

Melo is a native Mac workspace where you capture notes, links and screenshots with a hotkey, then ask an AI about them in plain language. It is a good fit for capturing ideas and screenshots quickly on a Mac, and visual thinkers who like board-style notes.

Yes. Melo has a free plan, and paid plans start at $4.99 per seat per month. A free trial is also available.

No. Melo is proprietary (closed-source) software. In the Note Taking category, open-source options include Revezone, FSNotes and Jrnl.

What are some alternatives to Melo?

Melo competes with Notion, Heptabase and Capacities.

Melo: features, pricing and alternatives

About Melo

Melo is a macOS app that works as a personal memory and workspace. Pressing a hotkey drops a thought into your memory, and you can later ask Melo about it in plain language and get an answer drawn from what you saved, with sources. It also captures links, screenshots and uploaded files, and has a quick launcher for commands.

The workspace is a board of cards that its AI can see, so calendar entries, notes, links and code become context for questions and help. A spatial mode turns the board into a free-floating canvas where cards can be dragged, layered and docked back into a grid, and semantic search works across every tile.

Less common controls include gesture control, where pointing, pinching and making a fist click, grab and add cards, and a clap-to-summon voice mode that dictates and acts on intent. It is a commercial app that is free to start.

Key features

One-keystroke capture of thoughts into memory
Plain-language questions answered with sources
Spatial canvas mode for free-floating cards
Semantic search across every tile
AI that reads calendar, notes, links and code
Gesture control and clap-to-summon dictation

Good fit for

Capturing ideas and screenshots quickly on a Mac
Visual thinkers who like board-style notes

Tags: note-taking; macos; ai-memory; second-brain; canvas; semantic-search; productivity

Melo: questions and answers

What is Melo used for?: Melo is a native Mac workspace where you capture notes, links and screenshots with a hotkey, then ask an AI about them in plain language. It is a good fit for capturing ideas and screenshots quickly on a Mac, and visual thinkers who like board-style notes.
Is Melo free?: Yes. Melo has a free plan, and paid plans start at $4.99 per seat per month. A free trial is also available.
Is Melo open source?: No. Melo is proprietary (closed-source) software. In the Note Taking category, open-source options include Revezone, FSNotes and Jrnl.
What are some alternatives to Melo?: Melo competes with Notion, Heptabase and Capacities.