MEMO vs LionDesk (2025): Which CRM Is Right for Solo Real Estate Agents?

Last updated: December 2025

Quick Answer

LionDesk is an all-in-one real estate platform with built-in texting, calling, video email, and transaction management. Best for agents who want every tool in one place and don't mind feature complexity.

MEMO is a lightweight Personal Relationship Manager (PRM) built around The Stack - a daily prioritized list that lets you "win the day in 3 taps." No pipelines, no endless task lists, no guilt. Just connect with the 3 most important people today, then you're done.

Bottom line: If you're a solo agent drowning in LionDesk's features and want a CRM that ends (not one with 47 tools you'll never use), MEMO is built for you. If you want an all-in-one platform and actually use built-in texting, video email, and transaction coordinators, stick with LionDesk.

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Table of Contents

At a Glance: MEMO vs LionDesk

Feature LionDesk MEMO
Best for Agents who want all tools in one place Solo agents, sphere-focused, referral business
Core strength All-in-one platform (texting, calling, video, transactions) The Stack (prioritized daily list that ends)
Daily workflow Task dashboard, activity feed, email/text inbox Connect with 3 people (Short List), then you're done
Starting price $25/month (Basic) to $65/month (Pro) $49/month flat
Contract Monthly or annual (discount for annual) Monthly, cancel anytime
Contact organization Custom fields, tags, lead sources, pipeline stages 4 roles (Client, Partner, Vendor, Referrer) + 2 Orbits
Reminders Tasks with due dates, action plans, automated follow-ups The Pulse (drift tracking without guilt)
Data enrichment Manual form filling The Daily Deal (gamified 5-card data game)
Built-in texting ✅ Yes (SMS/MMS) ❌ No (use your phone)
Built-in calling ✅ Yes (VoIP dialer with recording) ❌ No (use your phone)
Video email ✅ Yes (BombBomb-style) ❌ No
Email automation ✅ Yes (drip campaigns, templates) ❌ No (we don't automate relationships)
Transaction management ✅ Yes (dates, checklists, document storage) ❌ No (use DocuSign, dotloop, etc.)
Pipeline stages ✅ Yes (customizable) ❌ No (we track humans, not deals)
Task management ✅ Yes (with reminders and overdue tracking) The Stack (prioritized, finite, guilt-free)
Quick capture 5-7 taps through menus FAB - instant memo (3 taps, 10 seconds)
Mobile-first design Full-featured app but cluttered ✅ Yes (thumb-optimized, red light test)
Learning curve 1-2 weeks (many features to learn) 10 minutes (minimal setup)
Philosophy Swiss Army knife (every tool you might need) Remember humans, win the day in 3 taps

Pros & Cons

LionDesk

Pros:

Cons:

MEMO

Pros:

Cons:

Choose LionDesk If You...

Choose MEMO If You...

Still Not Sure? Try This

Question 1: Where do most of your deals come from?

Question 2: When you open your CRM, do you...

Question 3: How do you feel about built-in texting/calling?

Detailed Feature Breakdown

Daily Workflow: The Stack vs LionDesk Dashboard

LionDesk:

MEMO: The Stack

How The Stack works:

  1. The Short List (The "Must-Do")

    • Maximum 3 people
    • Prioritized by MEMO's Pulse system (who's drifting + who's most important)
    • One tap to see their context (last memo, birthday, home anniversary)
    • One tap to log a touchpoint or reach out
    • When you finish: The list says "You won the day ✓"
    • The liberation: You're allowed to be done. The list ends.

  2. The Daily Deal (The "Candy")

    • 5 random cards from your sphere
    • Each card asks one quick question: "Does Andrew have a partner?" "What's Wade's favorite restaurant?"
    • Swipe left to skip, swipe right to answer
    • Takes 2 minutes, makes your future suggestions smarter
    • The innovation: Data entry becomes a game, not a chore
    • Completely optional - if you did The Short List, you already won

  3. Focus Stacks (The "Extra Credit")

    • Specific drawers for specific goals:
      • "Missing Birthdays" (fill in gaps)
      • "Drifting" (people you haven't talked to in a while)
      • "Referral Sources" (your MVPs)
    • No red badges. You enter these voluntarily, not because the app is yelling
    • For the go-getters who want to optimize beyond the daily 3

Winner: MEMO (if you want finite goals), LionDesk (if you want comprehensive tracking)

Contact Management

LionDesk:

MEMO: The Sphere

Winner: LionDesk (if you love data richness), MEMO (if you want clarity over complexity)

Staying in Touch: The Pulse vs LionDesk Tasks

LionDesk:

MEMO: The Pulse

The Difference in Practice:

Scenario: You haven't talked to Sarah in 3 weeks

LionDesk:

MEMO's Pulse:

Winner: MEMO (if guilt doesn't motivate you), LionDesk (if automation and structure help you)

Communication Tools: All-In-One vs Phone-First

LionDesk:

MEMO:

The Trade-off:

LionDesk advantage: Everything tracked in one place. See full conversation history without switching apps. Know if someone opened your email.

MEMO advantage: Native phone apps work better than in-app alternatives. No "yet another inbox" to check. Don't pay for features your phone does free.

Winner: LionDesk (if you want all-in-one tracking), MEMO (if you prefer native phone apps)

Quick Capture: FAB vs LionDesk Entry

LionDesk:

  1. Tap contact name in list (or search)
  2. Tap their profile
  3. Tap "Add Activity" or "Add Note"
  4. Select activity type from dropdown (Call, Meeting, Email, Text, etc.)
  5. Enter notes in text field
  6. Select associated property (if applicable)
  7. Set follow-up task (optional but prompted)
  8. Tap "Save"

MEMO: The Floating Action Button (FAB)

  1. Tap FAB (always visible, bottom-right corner)
  2. Dictate or type: "Son made varsity basketball"
  3. Start typing name to tag: "Sar..." → Sarah appears
  4. Tap Sarah
  5. Done

The Red Light Test: Can you log a thought at a red light before the light turns green?

Winner: MEMO (purpose-built for speed), LionDesk (more structured but slower)

Data Enrichment: The Daily Deal vs LionDesk Forms

LionDesk:

MEMO: The Daily Deal

Math:

Winner: MEMO (makes boring work fun), LionDesk (traditional but thorough)

Transaction Management

LionDesk:

MEMO:

Winner: LionDesk (if you want all-in-one), MEMO (if you use specialized transaction tools)

Video Email

LionDesk:

MEMO:

Winner: LionDesk (if you use video email), MEMO (if you don't)

Mobile Experience

LionDesk:

MEMO:

Winner: MEMO (purpose-built for mobile), LionDesk (feature parity across devices)

Lead Management

LionDesk:

MEMO:

Winner: LionDesk (for lead-driven businesses), MEMO (for sphere-driven businesses)

Reporting & Analytics

LionDesk:

MEMO:

Winner: LionDesk (for data-driven agents), MEMO (for relationship-driven agents)

Integrations

LionDesk:

MEMO:

Winner: LionDesk (extensive integrations), MEMO (intentional simplicity)

Pricing Comparison (2025)

LionDesk Pricing

Plan Price What's Included
Core $25/month Basic CRM, email, tasks
Pro $39/month + Texting, calling, video email
Team $65/month + Team features, advanced automation

Annual cost (solo agent):

Setup fee: None
Contract: Monthly or annual (save 15-20% with annual)
Per-user pricing: Yes (pricing above is per user)
Most popular for solo agents: Pro ($468/year)

MEMO Pricing

Plan Price What's Included
Solo Agent $49/month Everything. No tiers.

Annual cost: $588/year

Setup fee: None
Contract: Month-to-month (cancel anytime)
Per-user pricing: No (flat rate)

The Real Cost Over 3 Years

LionDesk (Pro plan):
$39/month × 36 months = $1,404

MEMO:
$49/month × 36 months = $1,764

LionDesk is $360 cheaper over 3 years.

But here's the context:

The hidden cost: Time spent learning LionDesk (1-2 weeks) vs MEMO (10 minutes)

What Real Agents Say About LionDesk

Customer support is frustrating

"Customer service is a complete joke. Chat Windows take you 4 hours to respond makes it impossible for me to get assistance." — Verified LionDesk user review

The Feature Bloat Reality

Many agents report paying for LionDesk's comprehensive feature set (texting, calling, video email, transaction tools) but only using a fraction of the features. The all-in-one approach works for some, but others find themselves paying for tools they never touch.

How to Switch from LionDesk to MEMO

Most agents don't switch cold turkey. They run both for 2-3 weeks:

Week 1: Import & Explore

  1. Export your contacts from LionDesk: Settings → Contacts → Export to CSV
  2. Import CSV into MEMO (takes 5 minutes)
  3. Start exploring MEMO's interface
  4. Keep using LionDesk for active transactions

Week 2: Dual Logging

  1. When you have a thought about someone, log it in MEMO (not LionDesk)
  2. Notice how much faster MEMO's FAB is vs LionDesk's Add Activity
  3. Check MEMO's Short List first thing in morning
  4. Still use LionDesk for texting/calling if you prefer their inbox

Week 3: MEMO-First

  1. You're opening MEMO first, LionDesk out of habit
  2. LionDesk's dashboard feels overwhelming (too many sections)
  3. MEMO's Short List feels helpful (just 3 people)
  4. You realize you're only using LionDesk for features your phone already does

Week 4: Cancel LionDesk

  1. Export any remaining notes or transaction data
  2. Cancel subscription (or let annual plan expire)
  3. Pocket the savings or break even depending on plan
  4. Stop juggling features you don't need

What Data Transfers?

✅ Transfers easily:

⚠️ Requires manual export:

❌ Doesn't transfer:

Need Help Migrating?

Email support@memoforagents.com - we'll help you export from LionDesk and import into MEMO. Usually takes one phone call.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Is MEMO really better than LionDesk?
Not "better" - different. LionDesk is better for agents who want all tools in one platform and actually use video email, built-in texting, and transaction coordinators. MEMO is better for solo agents who build business on sphere and want simplicity over comprehensiveness.

Can I use both?
Yes, many agents run both during a trial period. Most end up choosing one within 2-3 weeks based on which workflow feels better.

Does MEMO integrate with LionDesk?
No, but you can export from LionDesk and import into MEMO via CSV.

Features

Why doesn't MEMO have built-in texting?
Your phone already has great texting. MEMO gives you the context (what to say), you use your native messaging app. This keeps MEMO simple and avoids "yet another inbox to check."

What about video email?
MEMO doesn't have built-in video email. If you regularly use video in your business, you can use Loom or BombBomb separately. In our research, most sphere-focused agents don't use video email regularly enough to justify the platform complexity.

Can I track transactions in MEMO?
No. MEMO tracks the relationship (when you closed, home anniversary for future outreach), not the transaction details. Use specialized tools like DocuSign, dotloop, or SkySlope for transaction management.

Does MEMO have a desktop version?
Not yet. MEMO is mobile-first (desktop coming 2026). LionDesk has full desktop and mobile apps.

Pricing

LionDesk is cheaper - why should I pay more for MEMO?
LionDesk Core ($25/month) is cheaper, but most agents need Pro ($39/month) for texting/calling/video. At that price, LionDesk is $120/year cheaper than MEMO. The question is: do you actually use those features enough to justify the added complexity? Many agents realize they don't and prefer MEMO's simplicity even at $10/month more.

Does MEMO have an annual plan discount?
Yes! It's $49/month, or $490/year (2 months free). Simple, transparent pricing.

What if I'm locked into a LionDesk annual contract?
Try MEMO for free while you finish your LionDesk term. Many agents find they stop opening LionDesk within 2 weeks even while still paying for it because MEMO's workflow is simpler.

Migration

Will I lose my LionDesk data?
No. Export your data before canceling. You can import contacts/notes into MEMO and keep transaction records for your files.

How long does it take to switch?
Importing contacts: 5 minutes. Getting comfortable with MEMO: 2-3 days. Full workflow switch: 2-3 weeks.

What happens to my drip campaigns?
MEMO doesn't do automated campaigns. You'll need to manually reach out or use a separate email tool if automation is important to you. Our philosophy: if an app can send it, it's not meaningful.

Other Alternatives to LionDesk

If neither MEMO nor LionDesk feels right, consider:

Follow Up Boss - More expensive but more powerful for teams ($69-99/month)

Realvolve - Workflow automation focused, similar complexity to LionDesk ($69-99/month)

Top Producer - Legacy platform, basic features but affordable (~$40/month)

Wise Agent - Budget-friendly with essential features ($29-49/month)

kvCORE - Usually comes with brokerage, comprehensive but overwhelming (varies)

Google Sheets + Phone Contacts - Free but requires discipline. If you've tried feature-heavy CRMs and hated them all, sometimes simple is best.

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The Bottom Line

Choose LionDesk if: You want truly all-in-one (texting, calling, video email, transactions), actually use video email regularly, need transaction coordinator tools, and don't mind learning a feature-heavy platform.

Choose MEMO if: You're a solo agent focused on sphere business, feel overwhelmed by all-in-one platforms, want a daily goal you can actually complete, prefer native phone apps over in-app communication, and value peace of mind over comprehensiveness.

Still not sure? Try MEMO free for 14 days. No credit card. See if "win the day in 3 taps" feels better than LionDesk's dashboard. If it doesn't, no hard feelings.

Try MEMO Free for 14 Days

No credit card required. No contract. No guilt if you decide it's not for you.

Start Your Free Trial →

Or Read the MEMO Manifesto → to understand our philosophy first.

Have questions? Email us at support@memoforagents.com