ZenBrain Memory vs Tether

In-depth architectural comparison of the ZenBrain Memory and Tether 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.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose ZenBrain Memory when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Databases domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore ZenBrain Memory Details

Choose Tether when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Databases domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Tether Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	ZenBrain Memory Databases	Tether Databases
Summary	Seven-layer agent memory: episodic, semantic, procedural and core. Local SQLite, no account.	Local-first agent memory over SQLite: remember, recall, link, forget. Degrades, never fails.
Category & Scope	Databases	Databases
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

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).

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tether": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "tether-memory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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