Engram

MCP-native · semantic + keyword search · real-time sync · self-hostable · source-available · Elixir/Phoenix

Quickstart · Self-host · MCP · API · Architecture · Plugin · Discord

Your notes stay plain markdown that you and your AI assistants both read and write. Pairs with the Engram Obsidian Sync plugin to sync your whole vault.

Self-Host (Docker Compose)

Don't want to run the commands yourself? Open the Quickstart docs, select the whole page, and paste it into your AI assistant — it's written top-to-bottom as imperatives the AI can execute in order.

Otherwise:

bash

git clone https://github.com/engram-app/Engram.git
cd Engram
cp .env.example .env       # then fill in the three secrets at the top
docker compose up -d

App at http://localhost:4000. Migrations run on boot. Only port 4000 is host-exposed; everything else stays on the private Docker network.

Large vaults? Enable MinIO for S3-style attachments: docker compose --profile s3 up -d — see storage docs.

Better embeddings? Switch to Voyage AI in .env — see embeddings docs.

Full self-host documentation

Topic	Link
Quickstart	https://engram.page/docs/self-host/quickstart/
Environment vars	https://engram.page/docs/self-host/environment-variables/
Encryption & keys	https://engram.page/docs/self-host/encryption/
Backup & restore	https://engram.page/docs/self-host/backup-restore/
Upgrades	https://engram.page/docs/self-host/upgrade/
Troubleshooting	https://engram.page/docs/self-host/troubleshooting/
Architecture	https://engram.page/docs/self-host/architecture/
MCP setup	https://engram.page/docs/mcp/
HTTP API	https://engram.page/docs/api/

Community

Questions, ideas, or bug reports? Join us on Discord.

Contributing

Local dev setup, tests, and PR rules: see CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

Dual-licensed:

PolyForm Small Business 1.0.0 — free for organizations under $1M USD prior-year revenue and < 100 employees + contractors.
Commercial License — required for larger orgs. See LICENSE-COMMERCIAL.md or email support@engram.page.

External contributions sign the Engram CLA. See CONTRIBUTING.md.

Security

See SECURITY.md for vulnerability disclosure. Self-host LAN deployments are out of scope of our published SLA — security depends on the operator's network and infra.