Comparison
Alpaca vs claude-mem
Verdict
Pick Alpaca when alpaca is primarily Python; claude-mem is JavaScript; pick claude-mem when claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; Alpaca is Python.
Markdown twin · Alpaca alternatives · claude-mem alternatives
GraphCanon updated today
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | Alpaca | claude-mem |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active (19d since push) As of today · github_public_v1 | Very active (1d since push) As of 4d · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Personal account As of today · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of 4d · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | No lockfile (source not queried) As of today · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of 4d · 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
- Alpaca
- 🦙 Local and online AI hub
- claude-mem
- Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent
Stars
- Alpaca
- 1.6k
- claude-mem
- 87k
Forks
- Alpaca
- 144
- claude-mem
- 7.5k
Open issues
- Alpaca
- 122
- claude-mem
- 252
Language
- Alpaca
- Python
- claude-mem
- JavaScript
Adopt for
- Alpaca
- -
- claude-mem
- claude-mem provides persistent context across sessions, leveraging AI to capture and compress agent activity.
Persona
- Alpaca
- -
- claude-mem
- -
Runtime
- Alpaca
- -
- claude-mem
- -
License
- Alpaca
- GPL-3.0
- claude-mem
- Claude-Mem is distributed under the Apache License 2.0, allowing it to be freely used in a variety of development and production environments while maintaining clear licensing terms.
Last pushed
- Alpaca
- Jun 26, 2026
- claude-mem
- Jul 9, 2026
Categories
- Alpaca
- Computer Vision, Inference & Serving, Vector Databases
- claude-mem
- AI Agents, Inference & Serving
Trust and health
Maintenance
- Alpaca
- Active (82%)
- claude-mem
- Very active (96%)
Days since push
- Alpaca
- 19d
- claude-mem
- 1d
Open issues (now)
- Alpaca
- 122
- claude-mem
- 252
Full report
- Alpaca
- Trust report
- claude-mem
- Trust report
Choose Alpaca if…
- Alpaca is primarily Python; claude-mem is JavaScript.
- License: Alpaca is GPL-3.0, claude-mem is Apache-2.0.
- Tags unique to Alpaca: adwaita, flatpak, gnome, gtk4.
- Also covers Computer Vision, Vector Databases.
When NOT to use Alpaca
- Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic.
- Vector Databases: Don't reach for a dedicated vector DB under ~100k vectors; pgvector on your existing Postgres is simpler to operate.
Choose claude-mem if…
- claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; Alpaca is Python.
- License: claude-mem is Apache-2.0, Alpaca is GPL-3.0.
- Requirements: Requires Node.js v20.0.0 or higher.; Must have the latest version of Claude Code with plugin support.; Auto-installs Bun (JavaScript runtime and process manager) if not already present.; Requires uv (Python package for vector search), auto-installation supported..
- Tags unique to claude-mem: ai-agents, ai-memory, chromadb, claude.
- Also covers AI Agents.
- When you require seamless and persistent context continuity between different session interactions with Claude Code or other supported agents.
When NOT to use claude-mem
- When working in environments where Node.js v20.0.0 or higher cannot be installed, as claude-mem requires this version to operate.
- If your specific AI agent or tool does not integrate with the supported frameworks listed (e.g., Claude Code, OpenClaw), making context persistence ineffective for your workflow.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (Jeffser/Alpaca) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub forks (Jeffser/Alpaca) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Last push (Jeffser/Alpaca) · observed Jun 26, 2026
- License file (GPL-3.0) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
- GitHub stars (thedotmack/claude-mem) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- GitHub forks (thedotmack/claude-mem) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Last push (thedotmack/claude-mem) · observed Jul 9, 2026
- License file (Apache-2.0) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 11, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 11, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: Alpaca 1.6k · claude-mem 87k (synced Jul 15, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between Alpaca and claude-mem?
- Alpaca: 🦙 Local and online AI hub. claude-mem: Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose Alpaca over claude-mem?
- Choose Alpaca over claude-mem when Alpaca is primarily Python; claude-mem is JavaScript; License: Alpaca is GPL-3.0, claude-mem is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to Alpaca: adwaita, flatpak, gnome, gtk4; Also covers Computer Vision, Vector Databases.
- When should I choose claude-mem over Alpaca?
- Choose claude-mem over Alpaca when claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; Alpaca is Python; License: claude-mem is Apache-2.0, Alpaca is GPL-3.0; Requirements: Requires Node.js v20.0.0 or higher.; Must have the latest version of Claude Code with plugin support.; Auto-installs Bun (JavaScript runtime and process manager) if not already present.; Requires uv (Python package for vector search), auto-installation supported.; Tags unique to claude-mem: ai-agents, ai-memory, chromadb, claude; Also covers AI Agents; When you require seamless and persistent context continuity between different session interactions with Claude Code or other supported agents.
- When should I avoid Alpaca?
- Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. 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 claude-mem?
- When working in environments where Node.js v20.0.0 or higher cannot be installed, as claude-mem requires this version to operate. If your specific AI agent or tool does not integrate with the supported frameworks listed (e.g., Claude Code, OpenClaw), making context persistence ineffective for your workflow.
- Is Alpaca or claude-mem more popular on GitHub?
- claude-mem has more GitHub stars (86,816 vs 1,601). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are Alpaca and claude-mem open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (Alpaca: GPL-3.0, claude-mem: Apache-2.0).
- Where can I find alternatives to Alpaca or claude-mem?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at Alpaca alternatives and claude-mem alternatives (Alpaca markdown twin, claude-mem 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, Alpaca or claude-mem?
- Alpaca: Active. claude-mem: 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 Alpaca and claude-mem?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: Alpaca trust report; claude-mem trust report.