--- title: "localGPT vs claude-mem" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/promtengineer-localgpt-vs-thedotmack-claude-mem" tools: ["promtengineer-localgpt", "thedotmack-claude-mem"] --- # localGPT vs claude-mem *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick localGPT if localGPT allows users to chat with local documents using GPT models completely privately without internet access; pick claude-mem if claude-mem provides persistent context across sessions, leveraging AI to capture and compress agent activity. [localGPT](https://github.com/PromtEngineer/localGPT) reports 22k GitHub stars, 2.5k forks, and 25 open issues, last pushed Mar 10, 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 [localGPT's repository](https://github.com/PromtEngineer/localGPT) and [claude-mem's repository](https://github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem). | | [localGPT](/tools/promtengineer-localgpt.md) | [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Chat with your documents locally using GPT models | Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent | | Stars | 22,202 | 86,816 | | Forks | 2,472 | 7,500 | | Open issues | 25 | 252 | | Language | Python | JavaScript | | Adopt for | localGPT allows users to chat with local documents using GPT models completely privately without internet access. | 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 | Data & Retrieval, Inference & Serving | AI Agents, Inference & Serving | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [localGPT](/tools/promtengineer-localgpt.md) | [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 122d | 1d | | Open issues (now) | 25 | 252 | | Security scan | 44 low (44 low) | No lockfile | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/promtengineer-localgpt/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Node.js**: [localGPT](/tools/promtengineer-localgpt.md) - Node.js runtime; [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) - Node.js runtime - **Python**: [localGPT](/tools/promtengineer-localgpt.md) - Python runtime; [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: localGPT - **Requirements:** Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Installation is currently tested only on macOS, though instructions for other operating systems are partially provided. - **Adopt for:** localGPT allows users to chat with local documents using GPT models completely privately without internet access. ## 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 localGPT if… - localGPT is primarily Python; claude-mem is JavaScript. - License: localGPT is MIT, claude-mem is Apache-2.0. - Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Installation is currently tested only on macOS, though instructions for other operating systems are partially provided.. - Tags unique to localGPT: docker support, document-chat, gpt models, local-inference. - Also covers Data & Retrieval. - localGPT ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When absolute privacy is required since no data leaves the user's local device. ### Choose claude-mem if… - claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; localGPT is Python. - License: claude-mem is Apache-2.0, localGPT 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 localGPT - If you need to work across multiple devices seamlessly because localGPT requires installation on each device and does not synchronize state online. - In scenarios requiring frequent updates or model tuning from a cloud service; localGPT relies solely on locally available models which do not auto-update. ## 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 localGPT and claude-mem? localGPT: Chat with your documents locally using GPT models. claude-mem: Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose localGPT over claude-mem? Choose localGPT over claude-mem when localGPT is primarily Python; claude-mem is JavaScript; License: localGPT is MIT, claude-mem is Apache-2.0; Requirements: Min 4 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Installation is currently tested only on macOS, though instructions for other operating systems are partially provided.; Tags unique to localGPT: docker support, document-chat, gpt models, local-inference; Also covers Data & Retrieval; localGPT ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When absolute privacy is required since no data leaves the user's local device. ### When should I choose claude-mem over localGPT? Choose claude-mem over localGPT when claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; localGPT is Python; License: claude-mem is Apache-2.0, localGPT 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 localGPT? If you need to work across multiple devices seamlessly because localGPT requires installation on each device and does not synchronize state online. In scenarios requiring frequent updates or model tuning from a cloud service; localGPT relies solely on locally available models which do not auto-update. ### 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 localGPT or claude-mem more popular on GitHub? claude-mem has more GitHub stars (86,816 vs 22,202). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are localGPT and claude-mem open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (localGPT: MIT, claude-mem: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to localGPT or claude-mem? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [localGPT alternatives](/tools/promtengineer-localgpt/alternatives) and [claude-mem alternatives](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/alternatives) ([localGPT markdown twin](/tools/promtengineer-localgpt/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/promtengineer-localgpt-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, localGPT or claude-mem? localGPT: 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 localGPT and claude-mem? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [localGPT trust report](/tools/promtengineer-localgpt/trust); [claude-mem trust report](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=promtengineer-localgpt`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=promtengineer-localgpt) - 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/_