What is the key difference between Shodh Memory and Penfield MCP?

Shodh Memory belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution, while Penfield MCP belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Shodh Memory or Penfield MCP 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 Shodh Memory and Penfield MCP free or paid?

Shodh Memory operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Penfield MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (OAuth 2.0).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Shodh Memory lists 38 tools with 4 views and 284 GitHub stars. Penfield MCP lists 6 tools with 3 views and 6 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Shodh Memory and Penfield MCP 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

Shodh Memory vs Penfield MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Shodh Memory and Penfield MCP 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

Shodh Memory

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 69/100 (Great) | Auth: No auth required

Penfield MCP

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 49/100 (Fair) | Auth: OAuth 2.0

Verdict Summary: Choose Shodh Memory if you need specialized Knowledge & Memory tools running via a local process. Choose Penfield MCP 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 Shodh 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 (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: remember, recall, recall_by_tags.

Explore Shodh Memory Details

Choose Penfield MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: OAuth 2.0 (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: Persistent memory across sessions, Hybrid BM25, vector, and graph search, Knowledge graph with 24 relationship types.

Explore Penfield MCP Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Shodh Memory varun29ankuS Knowledge & Memory	Penfield MCP penfieldlabs Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Cognitive memory for AI agents with Hebbian learning, 3-tier architecture, and knowledge graphs. Single 15MB binary, runs offline on edge devices.	Penfield: persistent memory with hybrid search (BM25 + vector + graph), 24 relationship types for knowledge graphs, context checkpoints for cognitive handoff, artifact storage, and personality system. Works across Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP client.
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Shodh Memory Tools (38)

remember

Store a memory for future recall. Use this to remember important information, decisions, user preferences, project context, or anything you want to recall later.

recall

Search memories AND todos using semantic similarity. Returns both relevant memories and matching todos. Use this to find past experiences, decisions, context, or pending work. Modes: 'semantic' (vector similarity), 'associative' (graph traversal), 'temporal' (time-based retrieval), 'hybrid' (combined), 'spatial' (geo-location based), 'mission' (mission context), 'action_outcome' (reward-based learning).

recall_by_tags

Find memories by tags. Returns memories matching ANY of the provided tags. Useful for finding memories by category (e.g., 'tool:Edit', 'file:src/main.rs', 'source:hook', 'error', 'session-summary').

context_summary

Get a condensed summary of recent learnings, decisions, and context. Use this at the start of a session to quickly understand what you've learned before.

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).

Shodh Memory Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "varun29ankus-shodh-memory": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@shodh/memory-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Penfield MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "penfieldlabs-penfield-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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