--- title: "search vs claude-mem" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/kelindar-search-vs-thedotmack-claude-mem" tools: ["kelindar-search", "thedotmack-claude-mem"] --- # search vs claude-mem *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick search when search is primarily Go; claude-mem is JavaScript; pick claude-mem when claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; search is Go. [search](https://github.com/kelindar/search) reports 554 GitHub stars, 24 forks, and 5 open issues, last pushed Mar 6, 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 [search's repository](https://github.com/kelindar/search) and [claude-mem's repository](https://github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem). | | [search](/tools/kelindar-search.md) | [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Go library for embedded vector search and semantic embeddings using llama.cpp | Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent | | Stars | 554 | 86,816 | | Forks | 24 | 7,500 | | Open issues | 5 | 252 | | Language | Go | JavaScript | | Adopt for | - | claude-mem provides persistent context across sessions, leveraging AI to capture and compress agent activity. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT | 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 | Inference & Serving, Vector Databases | AI Agents, Inference & Serving | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [search](/tools/kelindar-search.md) | [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 126d | 1d | | Open issues (now) | 5 | 252 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/kelindar-search/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/trust.md) | ## 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 search if… - search is primarily Go; claude-mem is JavaScript. - License: search is MIT, claude-mem is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to search: ai, bert, embeddings, gguf. - Also covers Vector Databases. ### Choose claude-mem if… - claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; search is Go. - License: claude-mem is Apache-2.0, search is MIT. - 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 search - Last GitHub push was 127 days ago (slowing maintenance, Mar 6, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on search. - 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 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 search and claude-mem? search: Go library for embedded vector search and semantic embeddings using llama.cpp. claude-mem: Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose search over claude-mem? Choose search over claude-mem when search is primarily Go; claude-mem is JavaScript; License: search is MIT, claude-mem is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to search: ai, bert, embeddings, gguf; Also covers Vector Databases. ### When should I choose claude-mem over search? Choose claude-mem over search when claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; search is Go; License: claude-mem is Apache-2.0, search is MIT; 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 search? Last GitHub push was 127 days ago (slowing maintenance, Mar 6, 2026). Validate activity before betting a new project on search. 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 search or claude-mem more popular on GitHub? claude-mem has more GitHub stars (86,816 vs 554). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are search and claude-mem open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (search: MIT, claude-mem: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to search or claude-mem? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [search alternatives](/tools/kelindar-search/alternatives) and [claude-mem alternatives](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/alternatives) ([search markdown twin](/tools/kelindar-search/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/kelindar-search-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, search or claude-mem? search: Slowing. 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 search and claude-mem? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [search trust report](/tools/kelindar-search/trust); [claude-mem trust report](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=kelindar-search`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=kelindar-search) - 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/_