context-mode vs Basic Memory
Both are memory & reasoning MCP servers, and we ran both through the same test (recall across sessions) in each app. context-mode passed 4 of 4 apps we tested it in; Basic Memory passed 3 of 3.
Test results side by side
| context-mode | Basic Memory | |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Passed 2026-10-13 | Passed 2026-10-21 |
| Cursor | Passed 2026-10-13 | Passed 2026-10-21 |
| Claude Desktop | Passed 2026-10-14 | Not tested yet |
| ChatGPT (Codex) | Passed 2026-10-14 | Passed 2026-10-22 |
| Tools exposed (protocol check) | 11 tools | 21 tools |
| GitHub stars | 29,079 | 4,266 |
| License | NOASSERTION | AGPL-3.0 |
| Last push | 2026-10-14 | 2026-10-16 |
Results from our own harness runs, dated per cell. Stars and last push from GitHub at our last data refresh. We don’t pick a winner here: which one fits depends on your app and setup.
What each does
context-mode: Keeps large tool outputs out of the context window by summarizing/indexing them.
Basic Memory: Local-first knowledge base over MCP: your agent reads and writes plain Markdown notes on your own disk, so context carries across chats. Optional paid cloud sync.
