Cortex Memory Engine vs Basic Memory

In-depth architectural comparison of the Cortex Memory Engine and Basic Memory 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 Cortex Memory Engine 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 Cortex Memory Engine Details

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

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Cortex Memory Engine Knowledge & Memory	Basic Memory basicmachines-co Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Local-first AI memory engine — 4-tier memory, people graph, Bayesian beliefs. Encrypted, 62µs.	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.
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": {
    "cortex-memory-engine": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "cortex-ai-memory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

Related MCP Server Comparisons