--- title: "shellward vs claude-mem" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/jnmetacode-shellward-vs-thedotmack-claude-mem" tools: ["jnmetacode-shellward", "thedotmack-claude-mem"] --- # shellward vs claude-mem *GraphCanon updated Jul 15, 2026* ## Verdict Pick shellward when shellward is primarily TypeScript; claude-mem is JavaScript; pick claude-mem when claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; shellward is TypeScript. [shellward](https://jnmetacode.github.io/shellward/) reports 123 GitHub stars, 21 forks, and 4 open issues, last pushed Jun 23, 2026. [claude-mem](https://claude-mem.ai) has 87k stars, 7.5k forks, and 252 open issues, last pushed Jul 9, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [shellward's repository](https://github.com/jnMetaCode/shellward) and [claude-mem's repository](https://github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem). | | [shellward](/tools/jnmetacode-shellward.md) | [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | AI 应用合规网关 · 一行命令体检 AI 项目的「数据出境 / 硬编码密钥 / 个人信息暴露」（网安法·PIPL·等保2.0·数据出境·AI标识），并给出境内模型替代建议；可作运行时防护拦截注入与数据外泄 · 中文优先 · 零依赖 · 开源 | Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent | | Stars | 123 | 86,816 | | Forks | 21 | 7,500 | | Open issues | 4 | 252 | | Language | TypeScript | JavaScript | | Adopt for | - | claude-mem provides persistent context across sessions, leveraging AI to capture and compress agent activity. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | 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. | | Categories | AI Agents, Inference & Serving, LLM Frameworks | AI Agents, Inference & Serving | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [shellward](/tools/jnmetacode-shellward.md) | [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Active (82%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 21d | 1d | | Open issues (now) | 4 | 252 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/jnmetacode-shellward/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Node.js**: [shellward](/tools/jnmetacode-shellward.md) - Node.js runtime; [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) - Node.js runtime ## Decision facts: claude-mem - **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. - **Adopt for:** claude-mem provides persistent context across sessions, leveraging AI to capture and compress agent activity. - **License detail:** 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. ## Choose when ### Choose shellward if… - shellward is primarily TypeScript; claude-mem is JavaScript. - Tags unique to shellward: agent-security, ai-agent, ai-firewall, ai-safety. - Also covers LLM Frameworks. - shellward ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. ### Choose claude-mem if… - claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; shellward is TypeScript. - 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. - When you require seamless and persistent context continuity between different session interactions with Claude Code or other supported agents. ## When NOT to use shellward - AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. - Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. - LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ## 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. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between shellward and claude-mem? shellward: AI 应用合规网关 · 一行命令体检 AI 项目的「数据出境 / 硬编码密钥 / 个人信息暴露」（网安法·PIPL·等保2.0·数据出境·AI标识），并给出境内模型替代建议；可作运行时防护拦截注入与数据外泄 · 中文优先 · 零依赖 · 开源. claude-mem: Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose shellward over claude-mem? Choose shellward over claude-mem when shellward is primarily TypeScript; claude-mem is JavaScript; Tags unique to shellward: agent-security, ai-agent, ai-firewall, ai-safety; Also covers LLM Frameworks; shellward ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. ### When should I choose claude-mem over shellward? Choose claude-mem over shellward when claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; shellward is TypeScript; 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; When you require seamless and persistent context continuity between different session interactions with Claude Code or other supported agents. ### When should I avoid shellward? AI Agents: Don't use an agent loop when a deterministic workflow would do; agents add latency, cost, and non-determinism. Inference & Serving: Self-hosting rarely beats a hosted API on cost until you have steady, high-volume traffic. LLM Frameworks: Avoid a framework for a single prompt-and-retrieve call; the abstraction can cost more than it saves. ### 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 shellward or claude-mem more popular on GitHub? claude-mem has more GitHub stars (86,816 vs 123). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are shellward and claude-mem open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (shellward: Apache-2.0, claude-mem: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to shellward or claude-mem? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [shellward alternatives](/tools/jnmetacode-shellward/alternatives) and [claude-mem alternatives](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/alternatives) ([shellward markdown twin](/tools/jnmetacode-shellward/alternatives.md), [claude-mem markdown twin](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/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/jnmetacode-shellward-vs-thedotmack-claude-mem.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, shellward or claude-mem? shellward: 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 shellward and claude-mem? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [shellward trust report](/tools/jnmetacode-shellward/trust); [claude-mem trust report](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=jnmetacode-shellward`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=jnmetacode-shellward) - 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/_