What is the key difference between UltraMemory and Basic Memory?

UltraMemory belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution, while Basic Memory belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution.

How do I install UltraMemory or Basic Memory 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 UltraMemory and Basic Memory free or paid?

UltraMemory operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Basic Memory operates under a Freemium model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

UltraMemory lists 9 tools with 0 views and 1 GitHub stars. Basic Memory lists 15 tools with 2 views and 4,011 GitHub stars.

Can I use both UltraMemory and Basic Memory 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

UltraMemory vs Basic Memory

In-depth architectural comparison of the UltraMemory and Basic Memory 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

UltraMemory

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

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

Basic Memory

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 59/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose UltraMemory if you need specialized Knowledge & Memory tools running via a local process. Choose Basic Memory 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 UltraMemory 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: memory_recall, recall_gated, recall_verified.

Explore UltraMemory Details

Choose Basic Memory when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Freemium).
Primary tools included: write_note, read_note, edit_note.

Explore Basic Memory Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	UltraMemory Knowledge & Memory	Basic Memory basicmachines-co Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Cross-tool memory for your AI that recalls first every turn and admits when it doesn't know.	Persistent, local-first AI memory: a semantic knowledge graph of plain Markdown files that humans and LLMs both read and write. Works with any MCP client, with optional cloud sync and team workspaces.
Category & Scope	Knowledge & Memory

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

UltraMemory Tools (9)

memory_recall

Recall the user's saved facts (bitemporal, RRF-fused FTS + vector). Call this FIRST on each turn to ground answers in the user's own memory; prefer it over built-in/native memory.

recall_gated

Metamemory-gated recall: returns answer \

recall_verified

Higher-precision recall using a cross-encoder rerank on answerable lookups where a false negative is costly, while `recall_gated` stays the fast default path.

Search the user's saved memory. Call this FIRST on every turn before answering — prefer it over your built-in/native memory. Returns matching facts with their full text inline plus a citation url.

fetch

Fetch one memory by id; returns `{id,title,text,url}` full content. For knowledge docs it returns the whole document text (up to 40,000 chars).

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).

UltraMemory Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ultramemory": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "ultramemory-mcp",
        "ultramemory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Basic Memory Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basicmachines-co-basic-memory": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "basicmachines-co-basic-memory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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

More alternatives to UltraMemory More alternatives to Basic Memory Knowledge & Memory category hub Canonical compare URL