Comparison
OpenMemory vs cognee
Verdict
Pick OpenMemory if openMemory offers local storage tailored for AI agents like Claude Desktop and GitHub Copilot; pick cognee if when evaluating Cognee, consider its self-hosted persistence capability and the extensive support it offers through multiple programming languages (Python, Rust, TypeScript). It uses vector databases to provide efficient.
Markdown twin · OpenMemory alternatives · cognee alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026
7views this month
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | OpenMemory | cognee |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (5d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Very active (0d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 11, 2026 · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 11, 2026 · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- OpenMemory
- Local persistent memory store for LLM applications
- cognee
- Cognee is the open-source AI memory platform for agents.
Stars
- OpenMemory
- 4.5k
- cognee
- 31k
Forks
- OpenMemory
- 504
- cognee
- 3.1k
Open issues
- OpenMemory
- 19
- cognee
- 482
Language
- OpenMemory
- TypeScript
- cognee
- Python
Adopt for
- OpenMemory
- OpenMemory offers local storage tailored for AI agents like Claude Desktop and GitHub Copilot.
- cognee
- When evaluating Cognee, consider its self-hosted persistence capability and the extensive support it offers through multiple programming languages (Python, Rust, TypeScript). It uses vector databases to provide efficient
Persona
- OpenMemory
- -
- cognee
- -
Runtime
- OpenMemory
- -
- cognee
- -
License
- OpenMemory
- Apache-2.0
- cognee
- Apache-2.0
Last pushed
- OpenMemory
- Sep 14, 2026
- cognee
- Sep 19, 2026
Categories
- OpenMemory
- Data & Retrieval, Vector Databases
- cognee
- AI Agents, Vector Databases
Trust and health
Days since push
- OpenMemory
- 5d
- cognee
- 0d
Open issues (now)
- OpenMemory
- 19
- cognee
- 482
Stars delta
- OpenMemory
- +153 (30d)
- cognee
- +729 (30d)
Open issues delta
- OpenMemory
- +6 (30d)
- cognee
- +123 (30d)
Full report
- OpenMemory
- Trust report
- cognee
- Trust report
Choose OpenMemory if…
- OpenMemory is primarily TypeScript; cognee is Python.
- Tags unique to OpenMemory: embeddings, long-term-memory, memory-engine.
- Also covers Data & Retrieval.
- OpenMemory ships an MCP server manifest.
- Need to integrate persistent memory support for specific LLMs like Claude.
When NOT to use OpenMemory
- Require cloud-based memory storage services.
- Your project must use languages other than TypeScript.
- Seek a generic vector database without specific LLM integrations.
Choose cognee if…
- cognee is primarily Python; OpenMemory is TypeScript.
- Tags unique to cognee: agent-memory, docker, knowledge-graph, open-source.
- Also covers AI Agents.
- - You are developing AI agents that require persistent long-term memory across different sessions.
When NOT to use cognee
- - Your project does not require persistent memory storage, or your agents operate fully within short-lived sessions without the need for past context.
- - You are aiming for minimal setup overhead and prefer a cloud-based solution that requires less maintenance on your infrastructure side.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (CaviraOSS/OpenMemory) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (CaviraOSS/OpenMemory) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (CaviraOSS/OpenMemory) · observed Sep 14, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 12, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub stars (topoteretes/cognee) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (topoteretes/cognee) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (topoteretes/cognee) · observed Sep 19, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: OpenMemory 4.5k · cognee 31k (synced Sep 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between OpenMemory and cognee?
- OpenMemory: Local persistent memory store for LLM applications. cognee: Cognee is the open-source AI memory platform for agents.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose OpenMemory over cognee?
- Choose OpenMemory over cognee when OpenMemory is primarily TypeScript; cognee is Python; Tags unique to OpenMemory: embeddings, long-term-memory, memory-engine; Also covers Data & Retrieval; OpenMemory ships an MCP server manifest; Need to integrate persistent memory support for specific LLMs like Claude.
- When should I choose cognee over OpenMemory?
- Choose cognee over OpenMemory when cognee is primarily Python; OpenMemory is TypeScript; Tags unique to cognee: agent-memory, docker, knowledge-graph, open-source; Also covers AI Agents; - You are developing AI agents that require persistent long-term memory across different sessions.
- When should I avoid OpenMemory?
- Require cloud-based memory storage services. Your project must use languages other than TypeScript. Seek a generic vector database without specific LLM integrations.
- When should I avoid cognee?
- - Your project does not require persistent memory storage, or your agents operate fully within short-lived sessions without the need for past context. - You are aiming for minimal setup overhead and prefer a cloud-based solution that requires less maintenance on your infrastructure side.
- Is OpenMemory or cognee more popular on GitHub?
- cognee has more GitHub stars (30,850 vs 4,510). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are OpenMemory and cognee open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (OpenMemory: Apache-2.0, cognee: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to OpenMemory or cognee?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at OpenMemory alternatives and cognee alternatives (OpenMemory markdown twin, cognee markdown twin), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes.
- Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison?
- Yes. The markdown twin at this comparison mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, OpenMemory or cognee?
- OpenMemory: Very active. cognee: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance.
- Where are the full trust reports for OpenMemory and cognee?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: OpenMemory trust report; cognee trust report.