--- title: "Spearmint vs cognee" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/hips-spearmint-vs-topoteretes-cognee" tools: ["hips-spearmint", "topoteretes-cognee"] --- # Spearmint vs cognee *GraphCanon updated Jul 12, 2026* ## Verdict Pick Spearmint when license: Spearmint is Other, cognee is Apache-2.0; pick cognee when license: cognee is Apache-2.0, Spearmint is Other. [Spearmint](https://github.com/HIPS/Spearmint) reports 1.6k GitHub stars, 328 forks, and 77 open issues, last pushed Dec 27, 2019. [cognee](https://www.cognee.ai) has 28k stars, 2.7k forks, and 620 open issues, last pushed Jul 11, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [Spearmint's repository](https://github.com/HIPS/Spearmint) and [cognee's repository](https://github.com/topoteretes/cognee). | | [Spearmint](/tools/hips-spearmint.md) | [cognee](/tools/topoteretes-cognee.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Spearmint Bayesian optimization codebase | Cognee is the open-source AI memory platform for agents. | | Stars | 1,570 | 27,564 | | Forks | 328 | 2,737 | | Open issues | 77 | 620 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | - | 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 | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Model Training, Vector Databases | AI Agents, Vector Databases | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [Spearmint](/tools/hips-spearmint.md) | [cognee](/tools/topoteretes-cognee.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Dormant (18%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 2388d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 77 | 620 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/hips-spearmint/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/topoteretes-cognee/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [Spearmint](/tools/hips-spearmint.md) - Python runtime; [cognee](/tools/topoteretes-cognee.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: cognee - **Adopt for:** 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 ## Choose when ### Choose Spearmint if… - License: Spearmint is Other, cognee is Apache-2.0. - Also covers Model Training. - Leaner open-issue backlog (77). ### Choose cognee if… - License: cognee is Apache-2.0, Spearmint is Other. - Tags unique to cognee: agent-memory, ai-agents, docker, knowledge-graph. - Also covers AI Agents. - cognee ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - - You are developing AI agents that require persistent long-term memory across different sessions. ## When NOT to use Spearmint - Last GitHub push was 2388 days ago (dormant maintenance, Dec 27, 2019). Validate activity before betting a new project on Spearmint. - Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. - Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ## 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. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between Spearmint and cognee? Spearmint: Spearmint Bayesian optimization codebase. 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 Spearmint over cognee? Choose Spearmint over cognee when License: Spearmint is Other, cognee is Apache-2.0; Also covers Model Training; Leaner open-issue backlog (77). ### When should I choose cognee over Spearmint? Choose cognee over Spearmint when License: cognee is Apache-2.0, Spearmint is Other; Tags unique to cognee: agent-memory, ai-agents, docker, knowledge-graph; Also covers AI Agents; cognee ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; - You are developing AI agents that require persistent long-term memory across different sessions. ### When should I avoid Spearmint? Last GitHub push was 2388 days ago (dormant maintenance, Dec 27, 2019). Validate activity before betting a new project on Spearmint. Model Training: Try prompting and RAG first; fine-tuning is the answer to style/format, not missing knowledge. Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate. ### 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 Spearmint or cognee more popular on GitHub? cognee has more GitHub stars (27,564 vs 1,570). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are Spearmint and cognee open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (Spearmint: Other, cognee: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to Spearmint or cognee? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [Spearmint alternatives](/tools/hips-spearmint/alternatives) and [cognee alternatives](/tools/topoteretes-cognee/alternatives) ([Spearmint markdown twin](/tools/hips-spearmint/alternatives.md), [cognee markdown twin](/tools/topoteretes-cognee/alternatives.md)), 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](/compare/hips-spearmint-vs-topoteretes-cognee.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, Spearmint or cognee? Spearmint: Dormant. 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 Spearmint and cognee? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [Spearmint trust report](/tools/hips-spearmint/trust); [cognee trust report](/tools/topoteretes-cognee/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=hips-spearmint`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=hips-spearmint) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_