Engram vs Penfield MCP
A side-by-side look at the Engram and Penfield MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Engram for knowledge & memory work as a local process; choose Penfield MCP for knowledge & memory as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Engram when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
create_conversation, append_messages, search.
Choose Penfield MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: OAuth 2.0.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge & Memory | Knowledge & Memory |
| Quality signal | 57/100 · Good | 49/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | OAuth 2.0 |
| Pricing | Not declared | Free |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 18 | 6 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 4 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 6 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View Engram | View Penfield MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Engram tools 6
create_conversationStart a new conversation with optional title, tags, metadataappend_messagesAdd messages to an existing conversationsearchSemantic search across all conversationsget_conversationRetrieve a conversation with its messageslist_conversationsList conversations with filtering and paginationdelete_conversationRemove a conversation and its data
Penfield MCP tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
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.
Engram
{
"mcpServers": {
"engram-2": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@getengram/cli"
]
}
}
}
Penfield MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"penfieldlabs-penfield-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"mcp-remote"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Engram is categorized under Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. Penfield MCP belongs to Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Engram for knowledge & memory work and Penfield MCP for knowledge & memory.
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.
Engram has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Penfield MCP is listed as free. Auth: oauth 2.0. 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 engram-2 and penfieldlabs-penfield-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Engram has a quality signal of 57/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 18 GitHub stars. Penfield MCP has 49/100 (Fair) with 4 views, 0 installs and 6 GitHub stars.