--- title: "claude-mem vs private-gpt" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/thedotmack-claude-mem-vs-zylon-ai-private-gpt" tools: ["thedotmack-claude-mem", "zylon-ai-private-gpt"] --- # claude-mem vs private-gpt *GraphCanon updated Jul 11, 2026* ## Verdict Pick claude-mem if claude-mem provides persistent context across sessions, leveraging AI to capture and compress agent activity; pick private-gpt if privateGPT provides a comprehensive API layer to build private, on-premise AI applications leveraging local OpenAI-compatible inference servers. It offers features such as RAG, skills, tools, text-to-SQL functionalities,. [claude-mem](https://claude-mem.ai) reports 87k GitHub stars, 7.5k forks, and 252 open issues, last pushed Jul 9, 2026. [private-gpt](https://www.zylon.ai/private-gpt) has 57k stars, 7.6k forks, and 5 open issues, last pushed Jul 10, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [claude-mem's repository](https://github.com/thedotmack/claude-mem) and [private-gpt's repository](https://github.com/zylon-ai/private-gpt). | | [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) | [private-gpt](/tools/zylon-ai-private-gpt.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent | Complete API layer for private AI applications on local models | | Stars | 86,816 | 57,329 | | Forks | 7,500 | 7,598 | | Open issues | 252 | 5 | | Language | JavaScript | Python | | Adopt for | claude-mem provides persistent context across sessions, leveraging AI to capture and compress agent activity. | PrivateGPT provides a comprehensive API layer to build private, on-premise AI applications leveraging local OpenAI-compatible inference servers. It offers features such as RAG, skills, tools, text-to-SQL functionalities, | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | 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. | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | AI Agents, Inference & Serving | Inference & Serving | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) | [private-gpt](/tools/zylon-ai-private-gpt.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 1d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 252 | 5 | | Owner type | User | Organization | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/zylon-ai-private-gpt/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [claude-mem](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem.md) - Python runtime; [private-gpt](/tools/zylon-ai-private-gpt.md) - Python runtime ## 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. ## Decision facts: private-gpt - **Requirements:** Min 8 GB RAM; Requires Docker - **Adopt for:** PrivateGPT provides a comprehensive API layer to build private, on-premise AI applications leveraging local OpenAI-compatible inference servers. It offers features such as RAG, skills, tools, text-to-SQL functionalities, ## Choose when ### Choose claude-mem if… - claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; private-gpt is Python. - 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: chromadb, ai-memory, claude, long-term-memory. - Also covers AI Agents. - When you require seamless and persistent context continuity between different session interactions with Claude Code or other supported agents. ### Choose private-gpt if… - private-gpt is primarily Python; claude-mem is JavaScript. - Requirements: Min 8 GB RAM; Requires Docker. - Tags unique to private-gpt: text-to-sql, ai, on-premise, tools. - private-gpt ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - - You need to deploy and operationalize your own locally-run models without relying on cloud APIs. ## 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. ## When NOT to use private-gpt - - You prefer simplicity and ease-of-use over full control; PrivateGPT requires more setup than using direct cloud-based AI services. - - Your project does not involve running models locally but strictly relies on public cloud resources for inference server operations. - - You do not have the technical capability to run an OpenAI-compatible inference server or manage local infrastructure effectively. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between claude-mem and private-gpt? claude-mem: Persistent Context Across Sessions for Every Agent. private-gpt: Complete API layer for private AI applications on local models. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose claude-mem over private-gpt? Choose claude-mem over private-gpt when claude-mem is primarily JavaScript; private-gpt is Python; 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: chromadb, ai-memory, claude, long-term-memory; 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 choose private-gpt over claude-mem? Choose private-gpt over claude-mem when private-gpt is primarily Python; claude-mem is JavaScript; Requirements: Min 8 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Tags unique to private-gpt: text-to-sql, ai, on-premise, tools; private-gpt ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; - You need to deploy and operationalize your own locally-run models without relying on cloud APIs. ### 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. ### When should I avoid private-gpt? - You prefer simplicity and ease-of-use over full control; PrivateGPT requires more setup than using direct cloud-based AI services. - Your project does not involve running models locally but strictly relies on public cloud resources for inference server operations. - You do not have the technical capability to run an OpenAI-compatible inference server or manage local infrastructure effectively. ### Is claude-mem or private-gpt more popular on GitHub? claude-mem has more GitHub stars (86,816 vs 57,329). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are claude-mem and private-gpt open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (claude-mem: Apache-2.0, private-gpt: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to claude-mem or private-gpt? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [claude-mem alternatives](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/alternatives) and [private-gpt alternatives](/tools/zylon-ai-private-gpt/alternatives) ([claude-mem markdown twin](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/alternatives.md), [private-gpt markdown twin](/tools/zylon-ai-private-gpt/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/thedotmack-claude-mem-vs-zylon-ai-private-gpt.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, claude-mem or private-gpt? claude-mem: Very active. private-gpt: 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 claude-mem and private-gpt? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [claude-mem trust report](/tools/thedotmack-claude-mem/trust); [private-gpt trust report](/tools/zylon-ai-private-gpt/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=thedotmack-claude-mem`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=thedotmack-claude-mem) - 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/_