Codebase Memory MCP vs Lm

A side-by-side look at the Codebase Memory MCP and Lm MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.

Codebase Memory MCP logoCodebase Memory MCPKnowledge & Memory · Local subprocess (stdio)Code-intelligence engine that indexes a repo into a persistent knowledge graph — functions, classes, call chains, HTTP routes, cross-service links. 159 languages via tree-sitter + Hybrid LSP, sub-ms structural queries, 99% fewer tokens than grep. Single static binary, zero dependencies, 100% local. npx codebase-memory-mcp73GreatAuth: no auth requiredLm logoLmConversational AI · Local subprocess (stdio)Connect Claude to any OpenAI-compatible LLM endpoint and offload routine work to a local model.61GoodAuth: not declared

Verdict: choose Codebase Memory MCP for knowledge & memory work as a local process; choose Lm for conversational ai as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Which MCP server should you choose?

Codebase Memory MCP logoChoose Codebase Memory MCP when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
  • You want tools like index_repository, search_graph, query_graph.
Explore Codebase Memory MCP

Lm logoChoose Lm when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Conversational AI domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • You have the keys it needs: HOUTINI_LM_ENDPOINT_URL, HOUTINI_LM_API_KEY, HOUTINI_LM_MODEL, HOUTINI_LM_SERIALISE.
  • You want tools like chat, custom_prompt, code_task.
Explore Lm

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

SpecCodebase Memory MCP logoCodebase Memory MCPLm logoLm
CategoryKnowledge & MemoryConversational AI
Quality signal73/100 · Great61/100 · Good
Install commandConfirmedConfirmed
TransportLocal subprocess (stdio)Local subprocess (stdio)
AuthNo auth requiredNot declared
PricingFreeNot declared
Required env varsNone listedHOUTINI_LM_ENDPOINT_URLHOUTINI_LM_API_KEYHOUTINI_LM_MODELHOUTINI_LM_SERIALISE
Verified ownerCommunity listingCommunity listing
GitHub stars47,004121
Directory activity 8 views 1 installs 1 upvotes 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
Tools178

Tools & capabilities

Codebase Memory MCP tools 17

  • index_repositoryIndex a repository. full/moderate add semantics; fast omits them; cross-repo-intelligence links services. Reports coverage gaps.
  • search_graphFind symbols via BM25 query, regex name/qn filters, or semantic_query. Rows keep qn/file/lines and in/out over CALLS/USAGE/CALL_REFERENCE/INHERITS/IMPLEMENTS.
  • query_graphRead-only Cypher for multi-hop, aggregation, complexity, or cross-service analysis. Default: 200 visible rows with exact/lower-bound totals and truncation; continue safely with next_cursor. graph=missed is a file tree of flagged coverage gaps; absence is not proof of completeness. Use get_graph_schema(diagnostics=full) for properties.
  • trace_pathTrace callers/callees, data flow, or cross-service paths. Defaults exclude tests and resolver evidence. Rows keep qn/hop with explicit totals, relations, and continuations.
  • get_code_snippetRead a search_graph symbol. auto bounds source and outlines large containers; full restores up to 500 lines. Source/outline pages continue; coverage_note marks gaps.
  • get_file_outlineDeclaration outline of one exact repository-relative file: optional exact label filter, source order, exact total/offset/limit paging; file/folder/container nodes excluded.
  • get_graph_schemaGet node-label and edge-type counts. diagnostics=full also lists queryable properties.
  • compare_graphsCompare two indexed snapshots: deterministic target-only additions and base-only removals of stable node/edge identities; each set capped by limit and a 512 KiB budget with exact totals and truncation reasons.
  • get_architectureCompact counts, languages, packages, entry points. Request structure, dependencies, routes, hotspots, boundaries, layers, clusters, cycles, or file_tree; path scopes a directory.
  • search_codeGraph-ranked text search: compact symbols, full bounded source, or file paths.
  • list_projectsList projects with stable paging. Identity is lean; stats adds graph sizes.
  • delete_projectDelete a project from the index
  • +5 more on the listing page

Lm tools 8

  • chatThe workhorse. Send a task, get an answer. The description includes planning triggers that nudge Claude to identify offloadable work when it's starting a big task.
  • custom_promptThree-part prompt: system, context, instruction. Keeping them separate prevents context bleed - consistently outperforms stuffing everything into one message, especially with local models. I tested this properly one weekend - took the same batch of review tasks and ran them both ways. Splitting thi…
  • code_taskBuilt for code analysis. Pre-configured system prompt with temperature and output constraints tuned per model family via the routing layer.
  • code_task_filesLike `code_task`, but the local LLM reads files directly from disk — source never passes through the MCP client's context window. Use this when reviewing multiple related files, or a single large file that's awkward to paste. Files are read in parallel with `Promise.allSettled`, so one unreadable f…
  • embedGenerate text embeddings via the OpenAI-compatible `/v1/embeddings` endpoint. Requires an embedding model to be available - Nomic Embed is a solid choice. Returns the vector, dimension count, and usage stats.
  • discoverHealth check and speed readout. Returns model name, context window, capability profile, connection latency (labelled explicitly — this is the `/v1/models` fetch round-trip, *not* inference speed), and the active model's measured tok/s and TTFT averaged over the session. Before any real call has run…
  • list_modelsLists everything on the LLM server - loaded and downloaded - with full metadata: architecture, quantisation, context window, capabilities, and HuggingFace enrichment data. Shows capability profiles describing what each model is best at, so Claude can make informed delegation decisions.
  • statsCompact markdown dump of your offload stats — session and lifetime totals, per-model performance history, reasoning-token overhead — without the model catalog that `discover` prints. Cheap to call repeatedly to watch the 💰 counter climb.

Ready-to-paste client configs

Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.

Codebase Memory MCP

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "deusdata-codebase-memory-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "codebase-memory-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Lm

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lm": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@houtini/lm"
      ],
      "env": {
        "HOUTINI_LM_ENDPOINT_URL": "YOUR_HOUTINI_LM_ENDPOINT_URL_HERE",
        "HOUTINI_LM_API_KEY": "YOUR_HOUTINI_LM_API_KEY_HERE",
        "HOUTINI_LM_MODEL": "YOUR_HOUTINI_LM_MODEL_HERE",
        "HOUTINI_LM_SERIALISE": "YOUR_HOUTINI_LM_SERIALISE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

Codebase Memory MCP is categorized under Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. Lm belongs to Conversational AI and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Codebase Memory MCP for knowledge & memory work and Lm for conversational ai.

Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.

Codebase Memory MCP is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Lm has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.

Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add deusdata-codebase-memory-mcp and lm as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

On AllMCPs, Codebase Memory MCP has a quality signal of 73/100 (Great) with 8 views, 1 installs and 47,004 GitHub stars. Lm has 61/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 121 GitHub stars.