Cognitive Substrate vs Screenpipe

In-depth architectural comparison of the Cognitive Substrate and Screenpipe 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?

C

Choose Cognitive Substrate 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).

Explore Cognitive Substrate Details

Choose Screenpipe 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).

Explore Screenpipe Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	C Cognitive Substrate Knowledge & Memory	Screenpipe Knowledge & Memory
Summary	28-layer cognitive substrate with cross-session ToT evolutionary memory and self-telemetry tools	Local-first workflow memory for AI agents. screenpipe lets MCP clients search selected screen, audio, app, and meeting context and turn real work into cited notes, SOPs, workflow reports, and automation candidates.
Category & Scope	Knowledge & Memory

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": {
    "cognitive-substrate": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-cognitive-substrate"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

Related MCP Server Comparisons