What is the key difference between Mneme and Cognee?

Mneme 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 Mneme 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 Mneme and Cognee free or paid?

Mneme 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?

Mneme lists 9 tools with 0 views and 2 GitHub stars. Cognee lists 6 tools with 3 views and 30,934 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Mneme 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

Mneme vs Cognee

In-depth architectural comparison of the Mneme 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

Mneme

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 48/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Cognee

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

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

Verdict Summary: Choose Mneme 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 Mneme 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: mneme_search, mneme_recall, mneme_write.

Explore Mneme 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	Mneme Knowledge & Memory	Cognee topoteretes Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Vault-native, accountable memory for Claude Code and MCP clients. Markdown is ground truth.	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

Mneme Tools (9)

mneme_search

FTS5 BM25 retrieval over the vault with Turkish casefold normalization, plus date, memory-type, and scope filters. Returns ranked hits and EvidenceCards carrying content hashes, trust, confidence, and the backend that actually ran.

mneme_recall

Retrieves indexed documents by session identifier, date range, and scope. Returns paths, titles, modification times, memory types, and optionally the full markdown body.

mneme_write

Atomically appends or replaces a markdown section in a vault file. Enforces vault path containment and redacts private spans before storage.

mneme_summarize

Groups FTS5 matches for a topic by vault directory within optional date and scope filters. Graphiti enrichment appears only when that optional local graph integration is configured.

mneme_timeline

Returns scope-restricted references for a subject in chronological order. Graphiti facts and bi-temporal filtering appear only when the optional local graph integration is available.

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).

Mneme Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mneme": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mneme"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

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

More alternatives to Mneme More alternatives to Cognee Knowledge & Memory category hub