Full feature-by-feature comparison. Benchmarks, pricing, architecture, privacy — everything you need to choose the right AI memory system.
96.6% LongMemEval · MIT licensed · 100% local · Zero API cost. Best for developers who want maximum accuracy and complete data privacy.
~85% LongMemEval · $24M YC funding · cloud-first · enterprise SLAs. Best for teams wanting fully managed infrastructure and commercial support.
~85% LongMemEval · Neo4j-powered · SOC2/HIPAA · self-host enterprise. Best for complex knowledge graphs and regulated industries.
Every conversation stored exactly as-is in ChromaDB. Nothing decided by an LLM. The reasoning behind decisions — the "why" — is preserved in full. Semantic vector search retrieves the right memory without any extraction cost.
Result: 96.6% recall · $0 ongoing cost
An LLM reads each conversation and extracts "key facts" — "user prefers Postgres", "team decided on Clerk". The rest is discarded. The reasoning behind the decision is gone. Ongoing API costs add up.
Result: ~85% recall · $19–249/mo ongoing
| Feature | MemPalace | Mem0 | Zep |
|---|---|---|---|
| LongMemEval R@5 | 96.6% (raw) | ~85% | ~85% |
| Monthly cost | $0 forever | $19–249/mo | $25/mo+ |
| Runs locally | Always, 100% | Cloud only | Enterprise only |
| API key required | No (raw mode) | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes — MIT | No | No |
| Storage method | Verbatim + vector | LLM extraction | LLM extraction |
| Knowledge graph | SQLite (free, local) | Cloud graph | Neo4j cloud |
| Temporal validity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MCP protocol support | Yes — 19 tools | Partial | Partial |
| Claude Code plugin | Native marketplace | No | No |
| Specialist agents | Yes — per-wing diary | No | No |
| Auto-save hooks | Save + PreCompact hooks | No | No |
| Privacy | 100% local, no data leaves | Cloud data | SOC2 / HIPAA |
| Enterprise support | Community (GitHub/Discord) | Yes — paid plans | Yes — enterprise |
| Managed infrastructure | Self-host only | Fully managed | Hybrid |