What is the key difference between A Mem MCP and Simplemem?

A Mem MCP belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution, while Simplemem belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution.

How do I install A Mem MCP or Simplemem in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are A Mem MCP and Simplemem free or paid?

A Mem MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required). Simplemem operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

A Mem MCP lists 8 tools with 4 views and 35 GitHub stars. Simplemem lists 7 tools with 2 views and 1 GitHub stars.

Can I use both A Mem MCP and Simplemem together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

A Mem MCP vs Simplemem

In-depth architectural comparison of the A Mem MCP and Simplemem MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

A Mem MCP

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 51/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Simplemem

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 39/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose A Mem MCP if you need specialized Knowledge & Memory tools running via a local process. Choose Simplemem if your workspace requires Knowledge & Memory integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose A Mem MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: LLM_BACKEND, LLM_MODEL, OPENAI_API_KEY, OPENROUTER_API_KEY, EMBEDDING_MODEL, CHROMA_DB_PATH, EVO_THRESHOLD.
Primary tools included: add_memory_note, search_memories, search_memories_agentic.

Explore A Mem MCP Details

Choose Simplemem when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: create_memory, read_memory, update_memory.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	A Mem MCP Knowledge & Memory	Simplemem jcdickinson Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Self-evolving memory system for AI agents	A simple memory tool for coding agents using DuckDB and VoyageAI.
Category & Scope	Knowledge & Memory	Knowledge & Memory

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

A Mem MCP Tools (8)

add_memory_note

Store new knowledge (async, returns immediately)

search_memories

Semantic search across all memories

search_memories_agentic

Search + follow graph connections

search_memories_by_time

Search within a time range

read_memory_note

Get full details (supports bulk reads)

update_memory_note

Modify existing memory

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

A Mem MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "a-mem-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "a-mem"
      ],
      "env": {
        "LLM_BACKEND": "YOUR_LLM_BACKEND_HERE",
        "LLM_MODEL": "YOUR_LLM_MODEL_HERE",
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY_HERE",
        "OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENROUTER_API_KEY_HERE",
        "EMBEDDING_MODEL": "YOUR_EMBEDDING_MODEL_HERE",
        "CHROMA_DB_PATH": "YOUR_CHROMA_DB_PATH_HERE",
        "EVO_THRESHOLD": "YOUR_EVO_THRESHOLD_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Simplemem Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jcdickinson-simplemem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "jcdickinson-simplemem"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

A Mem MCP is categorized under Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Simplemem belongs to Knowledge & Memory using local stdio subprocess. Select A Mem MCP when you need capabilities focused on knowledge & memory and Simplemem when you require tools for knowledge & memory.

More alternatives to A Mem MCP More alternatives to Simplemem Knowledge & Memory category hub