--- title: "anything-llm vs cortex-memory" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/mintplex-labs-anything-llm-vs-skullfire07-cortex-memory" tools: ["mintplex-labs-anything-llm", "skullfire07-cortex-memory"] --- # anything-llm vs cortex-memory *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick anything-llm if anything-llm is a self-hosted AI agent platform that supports multiple deployment methods, including Docker and cloud services, making it suitable for users who prefer local control over their AI workflows; pick cortex-memory if cortex-memory is a zero-config VSCode extension, CLI, and MCP server that provides persistent AI memory for coding sessions, auto-capturing decisions and context for tools. [anything-llm](https://anythingllm.com) reports 66k GitHub stars, 7.3k forks, and 315 open issues, last pushed Sep 17, 2026. [cortex-memory](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=cortex-dev.cortex-ai-memory) has 8 stars, 2 forks, and 0 open issues, last pushed Mar 25, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [anything-llm's repository](https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm) and [cortex-memory's repository](https://github.com/SKULLFIRE07/cortex-memory). | | [anything-llm](/tools/mintplex-labs-anything-llm.md) | [cortex-memory](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Self-hosted AI agent experience | Persistent AI memory for coding sessions, auto-capturing decisions and context. | | Stars | 66,167 | 8 | | Forks | 7,349 | 2 | | Open issues | 315 | 0 | | Language | JavaScript | TypeScript | | Adopt for | anything-llm is a self-hosted AI agent platform that supports multiple deployment methods, including Docker and cloud services, making it suitable for users who prefer local control over their AI workflows. | cortex-memory is a zero-config VSCode extension, CLI, and MCP server that provides persistent AI memory for coding sessions, auto-capturing decisions and context for tools like Claude Code, Cursor, and Cline. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | MIT License, allowing for free use, modification, and distribution. | MIT License | | Categories | AI Agents, Developer Tools, Inference & Serving | Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [anything-llm](/tools/mintplex-labs-anything-llm.md) | [cortex-memory](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Slowing (36%) | | Days since push | 0d | 176d | | Open issues (now) | 315 | 0 | | Stars delta | +1.5k (30d) | +1 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -4 (30d) | 0 (30d) | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/mintplex-labs-anything-llm/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: anything-llm - **Pricing:** freemium - Free to use under the MIT License, but users may incur costs based on their chosen deployment method and infrastructure. - **Requirements:** Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires a local environment setup or a cloud service account for deployment. - **Adopt for:** anything-llm is a self-hosted AI agent platform that supports multiple deployment methods, including Docker and cloud services, making it suitable for users who prefer local control over their AI workflows. - **License detail:** MIT License, allowing for free use, modification, and distribution. ## Decision facts: cortex-memory - **Pricing:** freemium - The tool is open-source under the MIT License, making it free to use, but additional features or services may come at a cost. - **Requirements:** Min 2 GB RAM; Requires a compatible AI coding assistant like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline.; Works best with VSCode, but also supports CLI and MCP server. - **Adopt for:** cortex-memory is a zero-config VSCode extension, CLI, and MCP server that provides persistent AI memory for coding sessions, auto-capturing decisions and context for tools like Claude Code, Cursor, and Cline. - **License detail:** MIT License ## Choose when ### Choose anything-llm if… - anything-llm is primarily JavaScript; cortex-memory is TypeScript. - Pricing: Free to use under the MIT License, but users may incur costs based on their chosen deployment method and infrastructure.. - Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires a local environment setup or a cloud service account for deployment.. - Tags unique to anything-llm: agent-computer, agent-harness, agent-orchestration, agentic-ai. - Also covers AI Agents, Inference & Serving. - When you need a local-first AI agent experience that you can fully control and customize. ### Choose cortex-memory if… - cortex-memory is primarily TypeScript; anything-llm is JavaScript. - Pricing: The tool is open-source under the MIT License, making it free to use, but additional features or services may come at a cost.. - Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires a compatible AI coding assistant like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline.; Works best with VSCode, but also supports CLI and MCP server.. - Tags unique to cortex-memory: ai, ai-coding-assistant, ai-memory, claude. - Also covers Data & Retrieval. - When you are working with specific AI coding assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline and need persistent memory across coding sessions. ## When NOT to use anything-llm - If you require a cloud-based solution with minimal setup and maintenance, as anything-llm requires self-hosting and local management. - When you need a platform that does not offer extensive deployment flexibility, as anything-llm provides multiple deployment options which might be overwhelming for users seeking simplicity. ## When NOT to use cortex-memory - If you are not using AI coding assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline, as cortex-memory is specifically designed to work with these tools. - When you prefer a tool that does not automatically capture decisions and context, and you want full control over what is stored and retrieved. - If you are working in an environment where zero-configuration tools are not suitable, and you require extensive customization options. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between anything-llm and cortex-memory? anything-llm: Self-hosted AI agent experience. cortex-memory: Persistent AI memory for coding sessions, auto-capturing decisions and context.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose anything-llm over cortex-memory? Choose anything-llm over cortex-memory when anything-llm is primarily JavaScript; cortex-memory is TypeScript; Pricing: Free to use under the MIT License, but users may incur costs based on their chosen deployment method and infrastructure.; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Requires a local environment setup or a cloud service account for deployment.; Tags unique to anything-llm: agent-computer, agent-harness, agent-orchestration, agentic-ai; Also covers AI Agents, Inference & Serving; When you need a local-first AI agent experience that you can fully control and customize. ### When should I choose cortex-memory over anything-llm? Choose cortex-memory over anything-llm when cortex-memory is primarily TypeScript; anything-llm is JavaScript; Pricing: The tool is open-source under the MIT License, making it free to use, but additional features or services may come at a cost.; Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires a compatible AI coding assistant like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline.; Works best with VSCode, but also supports CLI and MCP server.; Tags unique to cortex-memory: ai, ai-coding-assistant, ai-memory, claude; Also covers Data & Retrieval; When you are working with specific AI coding assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline and need persistent memory across coding sessions. ### When should I avoid anything-llm? If you require a cloud-based solution with minimal setup and maintenance, as anything-llm requires self-hosting and local management. When you need a platform that does not offer extensive deployment flexibility, as anything-llm provides multiple deployment options which might be overwhelming for users seeking simplicity. ### When should I avoid cortex-memory? If you are not using AI coding assistants like Claude Code, Cursor, or Cline, as cortex-memory is specifically designed to work with these tools. When you prefer a tool that does not automatically capture decisions and context, and you want full control over what is stored and retrieved. If you are working in an environment where zero-configuration tools are not suitable, and you require extensive customization options. ### Is anything-llm or cortex-memory more popular on GitHub? anything-llm has more GitHub stars (66,167 vs 8). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are anything-llm and cortex-memory open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (anything-llm: MIT, cortex-memory: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to anything-llm or cortex-memory? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [anything-llm alternatives](/tools/mintplex-labs-anything-llm/alternatives) and [cortex-memory alternatives](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory/alternatives) ([anything-llm markdown twin](/tools/mintplex-labs-anything-llm/alternatives.md), [cortex-memory markdown twin](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory/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/mintplex-labs-anything-llm-vs-skullfire07-cortex-memory.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, anything-llm or cortex-memory? anything-llm: Very active. cortex-memory: Slowing. 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 anything-llm and cortex-memory? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [anything-llm trust report](/tools/mintplex-labs-anything-llm/trust); [cortex-memory trust report](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=mintplex-labs-anything-llm`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=mintplex-labs-anything-llm) - 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/_