--- title: "cortex-memory vs claude-mem" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/skullfire07-cortex-memory-vs-thedotmack-claude-mem" tools: ["skullfire07-cortex-memory", "thedotmack-claude-mem"] --- # cortex-memory vs claude-mem *GraphCanon updated Jul 17, 2026* ## Verdict 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 CLI; pick claude-mem if claude-mem provides persistent context across sessions, leveraging AI to capture and compress agent activity. [cortex-memory](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=cortex-dev.cortex-ai-memory) reports 7 GitHub stars, 1 forks, and 0 open issues, last pushed Mar 25, 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 [cortex-memory's repository](https://github.com/SKULLFIRE07/cortex-memory) and [claude-mem's repository](https://github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem). | | [cortex-memory](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory.md) | [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Persistent AI memory for Claude Code, Cursor & Cline with a VSCode extension and CLI. | Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent | | Stars | 7 | 86,816 | | Forks | 1 | 7,500 | | Open issues | 0 | 252 | | Language | TypeScript | JavaScript | | Adopt for | 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. | 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, Developer Tools | AI Agents, Inference & Serving | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [cortex-memory](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory.md) | [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 108d | 1d | | Open issues (now) | 0 | 252 | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/trust.md) | **Typed relationship:** cortex-memory _(alternative)_ claude-mem Claude-mem and cortex-memory both provide persistent AI memory for Claude Code agents, tackling similar problems in different ways. ## Decision facts: cortex-memory - **Pricing:** freemium - 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. - **Adopt for:** 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. ## 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 cortex-memory if… - cortex-memory is primarily TypeScript; claude-mem is JavaScript. - License: cortex-memory is MIT, claude-mem is Apache-2.0. - 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.. - Claude-mem and cortex-memory both provide persistent AI memory for Claude Code agents, tackling similar problems in different ways. - Tags unique to cortex-memory: ai, ai-coding-assistant, claude-code, cline. - Also covers Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools. - If you are working extensively with Claude Code, Cursor & Cline and want to automatically capture decisions, patterns, and context across sessions without configuration. ### Choose claude-mem if… - claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; cortex-memory is TypeScript. - License: claude-mem is Apache-2.0, cortex-memory 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.. - Claude-mem and cortex-memory both provide persistent AI memory for Claude Code agents, tackling similar problems in different ways. - Tags unique to claude-mem: ai-agents, chromadb, claude, long-term-memory. - Also covers AI Agents, Inference & Serving. - When you require seamless and persistent context continuity between different session interactions with Claude Code or other supported agents. ## 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. ## 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 cortex-memory and claude-mem? cortex-memory: Persistent AI memory for Claude Code, Cursor & Cline with a VSCode extension and CLI.. claude-mem: Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose cortex-memory over claude-mem? Choose cortex-memory over claude-mem when cortex-memory is primarily TypeScript; claude-mem is JavaScript; License: cortex-memory is MIT, claude-mem is Apache-2.0; 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.; Claude-mem and cortex-memory both provide persistent AI memory for Claude Code agents, tackling similar problems in different ways; Tags unique to cortex-memory: ai, ai-coding-assistant, claude-code, cline; Also covers Data & Retrieval, Developer Tools; 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 choose claude-mem over cortex-memory? Choose claude-mem over cortex-memory when claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; cortex-memory is TypeScript; License: claude-mem is Apache-2.0, cortex-memory 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.; Claude-mem and cortex-memory both provide persistent AI memory for Claude Code agents, tackling similar problems in different ways; Tags unique to claude-mem: ai-agents, chromadb, claude, long-term-memory; Also covers AI Agents, Inference & Serving; When you require seamless and persistent context continuity between different session interactions with Claude Code or other supported agents. ### 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. ### 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 cortex-memory or claude-mem more popular on GitHub? claude-mem has more GitHub stars (86,816 vs 7). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are cortex-memory and claude-mem open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (cortex-memory: MIT, claude-mem: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to cortex-memory or claude-mem? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [cortex-memory alternatives](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory/alternatives) and [claude-mem alternatives](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/alternatives) ([cortex-memory markdown twin](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory/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/skullfire07-cortex-memory-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, cortex-memory or claude-mem? cortex-memory: 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 cortex-memory and claude-mem? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [cortex-memory trust report](/tools/skullfire07-cortex-memory/trust); [claude-mem trust report](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=skullfire07-cortex-memory`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=skullfire07-cortex-memory) - 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/_