Remember things about people: People Notes and personal CRMs
People Notes is a free, private notebook for the little things about friends and family, kept only on your device. Mesh (formerly Clay) and Monica are personal CRMs with more features, aimed at bigger networks.
| People Notes | Mesh (formerly Clay) | Monica | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no ads | Free Personal plan up to 1,000 contacts; Pro US$20 a month or US$120 a year | Hosted US$9 a month or US$90 a year; free if you host it yourself |
| Account | None | Required | Required for the hosted version |
| Works offline | Yes, after the first visit | Not stated | Not stated |
| Your data | Stays on your device (optional encrypted sync and passcode) | In Mesh’s cloud; it can import contacts from your accounts | On Monica’s servers, or on your own server if you self-host |
| Platforms | Any modern browser, phone or computer | iPhone, Android, web, Mac, Windows | Web browser on any device |
| What the others do better | Not applicable | Fills itself in from email, calendar, LinkedIn and other accounts; notices job changes | Open source; you can host it yourself and keep full control; more fields and history |
In short
- Pick People Notes if you want to remember a friend’s cat’s name or when to ask how the move went, without connecting any accounts.
- Pick Mesh if you keep up with a large professional network and want contacts filled in automatically.
- Pick Monica if you want a full personal CRM and are happy to host it or pay for hosting.
- People Notes can export birthdays to your phone calendar as an .ics file, with names and dates only.
Sources
Checked on 10 October 2026. Prices and features change, so check each maker’s site before you decide.
Favabeans is not connected with the other products named here. Their names are trademarks of their owners.