Home/Compare/mcp-local-rag vs cortex-memory

Comparison

mcp-local-rag vs cortex-memory

Verdict

Pick mcp-local-rag if mcp-local-rag is designed for developers who prioritize privacy and ease of setup when performing semantic and keyword searches on local codebases and technical documents through MCP or CLI integration; pick cortex-memory if cortex-memory is a TypeScript-based tool with an MIT license that provides persistent memory capabilities for Claude Code, Cursor & Cline through a VSCode extension and.

Markdown twin · mcp-local-rag alternatives · cortex-memory alternatives

GraphCanon updated 2d

mcp-local-rag logo

mcp-local-rag

shinpr/mcp-local-rag

370pushed Aug 23, 2026
vs
cortex-memory logo

cortex-memory

SKULLFIRE07/cortex-memory

7pushed Mar 25, 2026

Trust & integrity

Signalmcp-local-ragcortex-memory
Maintenance
Very active (0d since push)
As of 2d · github_public_v1
Slowing (128d since push)
As of 3w · github_public_v1
Provenance
Not a fork · Personal account
As of 2d · github_public_v1
Not a fork · Personal account
As of 3w · github_public_v1
OSV dependency advisories
No published findings from this source as of 2026-08-09
As of 2w · osv@v1
Published findings
As of 1mo · 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

mcp-local-rag
Local-first RAG server for developers with semantic and keyword search capabilities.
cortex-memory
Persistent AI memory for Claude Code, Cursor & Cline with a VSCode extension and CLI.

Stars

mcp-local-rag
370
cortex-memory
7

Forks

mcp-local-rag
68
cortex-memory
1

Open issues

mcp-local-rag
2
cortex-memory
0

Language

mcp-local-rag
TypeScript
cortex-memory
TypeScript

Adopt for

mcp-local-rag
mcp-local-rag is designed for developers who prioritize privacy and ease of setup when performing semantic and keyword searches on local codebases and technical documents through MCP or CLI integration.
cortex-memory
cortex-memory is a TypeScript-based tool with an MIT license that provides persistent memory capabilities for Claude Code, Cursor & Cline through a VSCode extension and CLI.

Persona

mcp-local-rag
-
cortex-memory
-

Runtime

mcp-local-rag
-
cortex-memory
-

License

mcp-local-rag
MIT
cortex-memory
MIT

Last pushed

mcp-local-rag
Aug 23, 2026
cortex-memory
Mar 25, 2026

Categories

mcp-local-rag
Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools
cortex-memory
Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools

Trust and health

Maintenance

mcp-local-rag
Very active (96%)
cortex-memory
Slowing (36%)

Days since push

mcp-local-rag
0d
cortex-memory
128d

Open issues (now)

mcp-local-rag
2
cortex-memory
0

Stars delta

mcp-local-rag
+18 (30d)
cortex-memory
Unknown

Open issues delta

mcp-local-rag
-2 (30d)
cortex-memory
Unknown

OSV dependency advisories

mcp-local-rag
No published findings from this source as of 2026-08-09
cortex-memory
Published findings

Full report

mcp-local-rag
Trust report
cortex-memory
Trust report

Choose mcp-local-rag if…

  • Tags unique to mcp-local-rag: agent-skills, hybrid-search, local-first, privacy-first.
  • mcp-local-rag ships an MCP server manifest.
  • When you need to perform both semantic and keyword-based search operations within a local, privacy-focused environment tailored specifically for handling codebases and technical documentation.

When NOT to use mcp-local-rag

  • When you do not require a privacy-first approach and are willing to rely on cloud-based solutions that might offer more extensive feature sets beyond just keyword and semantic searches.
  • If your use case involves scaling search capabilities across multiple remote databases or servers, as mcp-local-rag is best suited for local data only.

Choose cortex-memory if…

  • Pricing: Being open-source under the MIT license, cortex-memory is free for use, although specific pricing around value-added services or enterprise support are not detailed in the provided repository content..
  • Tags unique to cortex-memory: ai, ai-coding-assistant, ai-memory, claude-code.
  • If you are working extensively with Claude Code, Cursor & Cline and want to automatically capture decisions, patterns, and context across sessions without configuration.

When NOT to use cortex-memory

  • If you prefer not using tools that integrate deeply with specific AI platforms like Claude Code, which may limit its usefulness in environments where multiple or different platforms are used.
  • In scenarios where custom configuration is required, as cortex-memory emphasizes zero-config setup which might not be adaptable to highly customized workflows.

Explore

Sources

Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.

GitHub stars on cards: mcp-local-rag 370 · cortex-memory 7 (synced Aug 23, 2026).

Common questions

What is the difference between mcp-local-rag and cortex-memory?
mcp-local-rag: Local-first RAG server for developers with semantic and keyword search capabilities.. cortex-memory: Persistent AI memory for Claude Code, Cursor & Cline with a VSCode extension and CLI.. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
When should I choose mcp-local-rag over cortex-memory?
Choose mcp-local-rag over cortex-memory when Tags unique to mcp-local-rag: agent-skills, hybrid-search, local-first, privacy-first; mcp-local-rag ships an MCP server manifest; When you need to perform both semantic and keyword-based search operations within a local, privacy-focused environment tailored specifically for handling codebases and technical documentation.
When should I choose cortex-memory over mcp-local-rag?
Choose cortex-memory over mcp-local-rag when Pricing: Being open-source under the MIT license, cortex-memory is free for use, although specific pricing around value-added services or enterprise support are not detailed in the provided repository content.; Tags unique to cortex-memory: ai, ai-coding-assistant, ai-memory, claude-code; If you are working extensively with Claude Code, Cursor & Cline and want to automatically capture decisions, patterns, and context across sessions without configuration.
When should I avoid mcp-local-rag?
When you do not require a privacy-first approach and are willing to rely on cloud-based solutions that might offer more extensive feature sets beyond just keyword and semantic searches. If your use case involves scaling search capabilities across multiple remote databases or servers, as mcp-local-rag is best suited for local data only.
When should I avoid cortex-memory?
If you prefer not using tools that integrate deeply with specific AI platforms like Claude Code, which may limit its usefulness in environments where multiple or different platforms are used. In scenarios where custom configuration is required, as cortex-memory emphasizes zero-config setup which might not be adaptable to highly customized workflows.
Is mcp-local-rag or cortex-memory more popular on GitHub?
mcp-local-rag has more GitHub stars (370 vs 7). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
Are mcp-local-rag and cortex-memory open source?
Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (mcp-local-rag: MIT, cortex-memory: MIT).
Where can I find alternatives to mcp-local-rag or cortex-memory?
GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at mcp-local-rag alternatives and cortex-memory alternatives (mcp-local-rag markdown twin, cortex-memory 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, mcp-local-rag or cortex-memory?
mcp-local-rag: 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 mcp-local-rag and cortex-memory?
GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: mcp-local-rag trust report; cortex-memory trust report.

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