Basic Memory vs Central Intelligence

In-depth architectural comparison of the Basic Memory and Central Intelligence 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.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Basic Memory when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Freemium).
• Primary tools included: write_note, read_note, edit_note.

Explore Basic Memory Details

Choose Central Intelligence 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: CI_API_KEY.
• Primary tools included: Five MCP tools: remember, recall, context, forget, share, Semantic search via vector embeddings, Agent, user, and organization scoped memory.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Basic Memory basicmachines-co Knowledge & Memory	Central Intelligence AlekseiMarchenko Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Persistent, local-first AI memory: a semantic knowledge graph of plain Markdown files that humans and LLMs both read and write. Works with any MCP client, with optional cloud sync and team workspaces.	Persistent memory for AI agents. Five tools (remember, recall, context, forget, share) with semantic search via vector embeddings and agent/user/org scoping. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP client.
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

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).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basicmachines-co-basic-memory": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "basicmachines-co-basic-memory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alekseimarchenko-central-intelligence": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "central-intelligence-local"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CI_API_KEY": "YOUR_CI_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

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