What is the key difference between Graph Mem and Cognee?

Graph Mem belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution, while Cognee belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Graph Mem or Cognee in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Graph Mem and Cognee free or paid?

Graph Mem operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Cognee operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Graph Mem lists 28 tools with 0 views and 1 GitHub stars. Cognee lists 6 tools with 3 views and 30,934 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Graph Mem and Cognee together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Graph Mem vs Cognee

In-depth architectural comparison of the Graph Mem and Cognee 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.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Graph Mem

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 51/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Cognee

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 53/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose Graph Mem if you need specialized Knowledge & Memory tools running via a local process. Choose Cognee if your workspace requires Knowledge & Memory integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Graph Mem 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).
Primary tools included: add_entities, add_relationships, add_observations.

Explore Graph Mem Details

Choose Cognee when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
You have access to required keys: LLM_API_KEY.
Primary tools included: Persistent and session-scoped memory, Graph, vector, and code-aware retrieval, Text and code ingestion.

Explore Cognee Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Graph Mem Knowledge & Memory	Cognee topoteretes Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Persistent knowledge-graph memory for AI agents, with local semantic search. No API keys.	Memory manager for AI apps and Agents using various graph and vector stores and allowing ingestion from 30+ data sources
Category & Scope	Knowledge & Memory	Knowledge & Memory

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Graph Mem Tools (28)

add_entities

Batch-create entities with optional observations; auto-merges on name conflict; returns quality screening hints

add_relationships

Create typed, directed edges between entities; merges duplicates by max weight

add_observations

Attach factual statements to entities with optional source provenance

update_entity

Modify entity name, description, properties, or type in-place (rename with collision check)

update_relationship

Change weight, type, or properties of an existing edge without delete+re-create

update_observation

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).

Graph Mem Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "graph-mem": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "graphmem-mcp",
        "graph-mem"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cognee Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "topoteretes-cognee": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "cognee"
      ],
      "env": {
        "LLM_API_KEY": "YOUR_LLM_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Graph Mem is categorized under Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Cognee belongs to Knowledge & Memory using local stdio subprocess. Select Graph Mem when you need capabilities focused on knowledge & memory and Cognee when you require tools for knowledge & memory.

More alternatives to Graph Mem More alternatives to Cognee Knowledge & Memory category hub