What is the key difference between Robrain and Tribal?

Robrain belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution, while Tribal belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Robrain or Tribal 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 Robrain and Tribal free or paid?

Robrain operates under a Freemium model (API Key required). Tribal operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Robrain lists 6 tools with 2 views and 81 GitHub stars. Tribal lists 5 tools with 1 views and 9 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Robrain and Tribal 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.

How do I install Robrain or Tribal in Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf?

Both servers follow the standard Model Context Protocol configuration format. Simply copy the JSON block from the configuration section above and paste it into your AI client's mcpServers configuration object (for instance in claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json ), then completely restart or refresh the application.

Are Robrain and Tribal free to use, or do they require API keys?

Robrain is listed under a Freemium model with API Key required . Tribal operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model with API Key required . If environment variables are required (such as API keys), be sure to define them under the env key in your MCP client's configuration file.

Can I run both Robrain and Tribal at the same time in my AI client?

Yes! MCP clients support multi-server orchestration. You can include both adelinamart-robrain and tribal-memory-tribal as distinct keys inside the single mcpServers object in your configuration file. Your AI assistant will automatically select and call the appropriate tool from either server during chat sessions.

Which MCP server has higher directory engagement and quality ratings?

On AllMCPs, Robrain has a Quality Score of 49 /100 ( Fair ) with 2 views, 0 installs, and 81 GitHub stars. Tribal holds a Quality Score of 52 /100 ( Good ) with 1 views, 0 installs, and 9 GitHub stars.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Robrain vs Tribal

In-depth architectural comparison of the Robrain and Tribal 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

Robrain

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 49/100 (Fair) | Auth: API Key required

Tribal

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 52/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose Robrain if you need specialized Knowledge & Memory tools running via a local process. Choose Tribal 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 Robrain when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Freemium).
You have access to required keys: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, PERCEPTION_API_KEY, POSTGRES_PASSWORD.
Primary tools included: Passive capture of session turns and decisions, Structured rejected[] field for vetoed alternatives, Corpus-wide contradiction and stance drift detection.

Explore Robrain Details

Choose Tribal when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
You have access to required keys: OPENAI_API_KEY, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OLLAMA_API_KEY, TRIBAL_BEARER_TOKEN.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Robrain adelinamart Knowledge & Memory	Tribal tribal-memory Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Self-hosted decision memory for AI coding agents. Passively captures architectural decisions with the alternatives you rejected (structured rejected[]), then warns the agent before it re-proposes a rejected approach. Postgres + pgvector; cross-tool across Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, and Codex. Install: npx robrain up && npx robrain install.	Self-hosted semantic memory server, served over MCP, for an engineering team's tribal knowledge: the tacit decisions and hard-won reasoning behind the code, captured once and kept queryable for the team and the agents they work with. Postgres-backed (pgvector).
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Robrain Tools (6)

Passive capture of session turns and decisions

Structured rejected[] field for vetoed alternatives

Corpus-wide contradiction and stance drift detection

Postgres + pgvector backend for persistent storage

Cross-tool integration with Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Codex CLI

Self-hosted or managed cloud deployment options

Tribal Tools (5)

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).

Robrain Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "adelinamart-robrain": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "robrain"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY_HERE",
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY_HERE",
        "PERCEPTION_API_KEY": "YOUR_PERCEPTION_API_KEY_HERE",
        "POSTGRES_PASSWORD": "YOUR_POSTGRES_PASSWORD_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tribal Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tribal-memory-tribal": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "tribal-memory-tribal"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY_HERE",
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY_HERE",
        "OLLAMA_API_KEY": "YOUR_OLLAMA_API_KEY_HERE",
        "TRIBAL_BEARER_TOKEN": "YOUR_TRIBAL_BEARER_TOKEN_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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

More alternatives to Robrain More alternatives to Tribal Knowledge & Memory category hub