start.me VS MadNotes

Compare start.me VS MadNotes and see what are their differences

Rating: 0 reviews
Pricing: Freemium Free trial $20 / Annually

Rating: 5.0 · 1 review
Pricing: Open source $3 / Monthly

Castmint

Type one line. Get a finished short. sponsored

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, start.me seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 14 times since March 2021.

social mentions: 14 vs 0
Bookmark Manager popularity: 100% vs 0%
alternatives listed: 240+ vs 15

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

	start.me	MadNotes
Website	start.me	madnotes.app
Pricing	Freemium Free trial $20 / Annually Official pricing	Open source $3 / Monthly Official pricing
Platforms	Browser Windows iOS Android Web Mac OSX +3	—
Company	2014	2023
Listed in	Bookmark Manager Favorites Bookmarks Startpage New Tab Page Browser Extensions +3	Productivity Writing Tools Studying Notes +1

About start.me and MadNotes

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

start.me

MadNotes

A Modern-day bookmark manager. A place for your favorites. A news feed (RSS) reader. A browser startpage. A portal for your team.

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

start.me 5 features

MadNotes 6 features

Customization
start.me offers extensive customization options, allowing users to create a personalized dashboard with widgets, RSS feeds, bookmarks, and more.
Ease of Use
The platform is user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy for users to set up and navigate their dashboards.
Integrations
start.me integrates with a variety of third-party applications and services, enhancing its functionality and making it a versatile tool.
Collaboration
Users can share their dashboards with others, making it a great tool for team collaboration and information sharing.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Being web-based, start.me works across different devices and operating systems, allowing for consistent access.

Possible disadvantages

Subscription Cost
The premium features of start.me require a subscription, which could be a drawback for budget-conscious users.
Limited Offline Access
Since it is a web-based tool, start.me provides limited functionality when offline.
Learning Curve
While it is generally user-friendly, the vast array of customization options can be overwhelming for new users.
Performance Issues
Depending on the number of widgets and feeds added, the dashboard can sometimes experience slow load times.
Privacy Concerns
As with any cloud-based service, there can be privacy concerns regarding how user data is handled and stored.

Rich text formatting
Delightful writing experience with intuitive markdown.
Synchronization
Available on every device and every major browser.
Unlimited docs
Limitless space for your creativity. MadNotes holds all your notes.
Security by default
Stored locally or hashed in the cloud with a key only you know.
Dark & Light Mode
Instant eye relief? We have a color scheme just for you.
Privacy Settings
No more sneak peeks. Be confident while sharing your screen as notes boots up blurred.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

start.me

MadNotes

Overall verdict

Overall, start.me is considered a good tool for users who prefer a personalized, organized start page experience. It provides many features to streamline online navigation and consolidate various web resources into one convenient location.

Why this product is good

Start.me is a customizable personal start page that enables users to manage their online bookmarks, news feeds, and personal widgets in a consolidated dashboard. It offers a visually appealing and efficient way to organize multiple web resources, making it easier to access and manage daily digital tools and information.

Recommended for

Individuals who want to simplify their online browsing experience
Users who need an organized platform to manage bookmarks and RSS feeds
Professionals who aim to boost productivity through a centralized digital workspace
People who appreciate a visually customizable dashboard for their daily online activities

Overall verdict

MadNotes is a solid, lightweight note-taking tool that turns your browser's new tab into a simple, distraction-free writing space, making it a good choice for users who want quick and accessible notes without installing heavy software.

Why this product is good

Transforms your browser new tab page into an instant note-taking area, so notes are always one click away
Minimalist and distraction-free interface that focuses on quick capture rather than complex features
No account or sign-up required for basic use, making it fast to start
Notes are saved locally in the browser, offering privacy and immediate access
Free to use with a low barrier to entry, ideal for casual note-takers

Recommended for

People who want a quick, always-accessible scratchpad in their browser
Users who prefer minimalist, distraction-free note tools
Students and professionals jotting down quick ideas, to-dos, or reminders
Anyone who lives in their browser and wants notes without extra apps
Privacy-conscious users who prefer locally stored notes

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

start.me 3 videos + Add

MadNotes 4 videos + Add

Introduction to start.me

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100

start.me

MadNotes

100% 100%

Bookmark Manager

0% 0%

91% 91%

Productivity

9% 9%

100% 100%

Bookmarks

0% 0%

Notes

100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using start.me and MadNotes. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

start.me no reviews yet

MadNotes 5.0 · 1 review

Best Bookmark Managers for Teams, Designers & Power Users
blog.linkinize.com · Jul 2025

Start.me turns your new tab into a dashboard where bookmarks live alongside widgets, RSS feeds, notes, and more. It’s ideal for users who want a personalized homepage that centralizes productivity and organization....
Top 10 browser-independent bookmark managers for efficient web surfing
www.save.day · Jun 2024

All BlogsPublished in Top 10 browser-independent bookmark managers for efficient web surfingShare this postLinkedIn iconFacebook iconTwitter iconThe only bookmarking tool you'll ever needTry for freeTable of...
Top 10 Bookmark Managers for Chrome 2024
web.curateit.com · Nov 2023

Start.me is a bookmarking and also a start page platform to enhance your web browsing. You can literally keep start.me as your default home page if you like being organized. It takes all your online data and puts it...

Love this minimalist writing experience
SaaSHub review

· Jun 2023

MadNotes is a great alternative for those who spend most of their work in a browser. I love its design and minimalist approach. It's just me and the notes.

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

start.me 14 mentions

MadNotes 0 mentions

Need Browse start page / extension manager suggestions.
I really like how start.me works as it is URL based I can easily make it the default new tab and home page. Source: about 4 years ago
App for bookmark managing on Chrome?
I love start.me (https://about.start.me/) . Source: over 4 years ago
Privacy respecting external bookmark managers?
Is it start.me? If that is the case, I am concerned about their ads. When I go to my bookmarked URL, I notice that Instead of opening the bookmakred URL(e.x reddit.com ), my ADguard DNS server blocks this malicious site:... Source: almost 5 years ago

Tracking MadNotes since Jan 2023.

Alternatives to start.me and MadNotes

When comparing start.me and MadNotes, you can also consider the following products.

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All your articles, photos, video & content from web & apps in one place.

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Standard Notes
A safe place for your notes, thoughts, and life's work

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Protopage
The best iGoogle alternative. Chris Pirillo calls Protopage "The best designed".

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Joplin
Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application, which can handle a large number of notes organised into notebooks. The notes are searchable, tagged and modified either from the applications directly or from your own text editor.

Compare Joplin to start.me or MadNotes:

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Diigo
Diigo is a powerful research tool and a knowledge-sharing community

Compare Diigo to start.me or MadNotes:

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Obsidian
A second brain, for you, forever. Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files.

Compare Obsidian to start.me or MadNotes:

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