What’s the difference between cloud and local?
Cloud requires no install, offers cross-device sync and mobile access, and costs $15/mo. Local is free forever, runs on your disk, and works air-gapped.
Basic Memory MCP Server
@basicmachines-co
Basic information
About Basic Memory MCP Server
AI conversations that actually remember. Never re-explain your project to your AI again. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tyvKNccgqN
Before you connect
Documentation reviewed 2026-10-25
When to choose this server
Basic Memory is a good fit when your durable knowledge should remain readable Markdown notes. The project offers both a local installation and a separate hosted service.
Setup and limitations
Choose local storage versus cloud before following setup instructions. For local use, configure a consistent project and notes directory across clients. A useful first check is to write a disposable note and retrieve it in another session; hosted access and pricing are separate from installing the open-source package.
These notes check the linked documentation, not a live authenticated connection. Suggested checks are steps for you to run.
Basic Memory MCP Server config
Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.
{
"mcpServers": {
"basic-memory": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"basic-memory",
"mcp"
]
}
}
}Basic Memory MCP Server tools
23Delete a note or directory by title, permalink, or path
Read a file's raw content by path or permalink
Build context from a memory:// URI to continue conversations naturally. Use this to follow up on previous discussions or explore related topics. Memory URL Format: - Use paths like "folder/note" or "memory://folder/note" - Pattern matching: "folder/*" matches all notes in folder - Valid characters: letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores, forward slashes - Avoid: double slashes (//), angle brackets (<>), quotes, pipes (|) - Examples: "specs/search", "projects/basic-memory", "notes/*" Timeframes support natural language like: - "2 days ago", "last week", "today", "3 months ago" - Or standard formats like "7d", "24h" Format options: - "json" (default): Structured JSON with internal fields excluded - "text": Compact markdown text for LLM consumption
Get recent activity for a project or across all projects. Timeframe supports natural language formats like: - "2 days ago" - "last week" - "yesterday" - "today" - "3 weeks ago" Or standard formats like "7d"
Search across all content in the knowledge base with advanced syntax support.
Read a markdown note by title or permalink.
View a note as a formatted artifact for better readability.
Create a markdown note. If the note already exists, returns an error by default — pass overwrite=True to replace.
Return optional Basic Memory Cloud information and setup guidance.
Return the latest product release notes for optional user review.
Create an Obsidian canvas file to visualize concepts and connections.
List directory contents with filtering and depth control.
Edit an existing markdown note using various operations like append, prepend, find_replace, replace_section, insert_before_section, or insert_after_section.
Move a note or directory to a new location, updating database and maintaining links.
List available cloud workspaces (tenant_id, type, role, and name).
List all available projects with their status. Shows projects from both local and cloud sources when cloud credentials are available, merging by permalink to give a unified view. Each project entry includes an `external_id` (UUID). Pass that value as the `project_id` parameter on other tools to address a specific project unambiguously across cloud workspaces — useful when the same project name exists in more than one workspace.
Create a new Basic Memory project. Creates a new project with the specified name and path. The project directory will be created if it doesn't exist. Optionally sets the new project as default.
Delete a Basic Memory project. Removes a project from the configuration and database. This does NOT delete the actual files on disk - only removes the project from Basic Memory's configuration and database records.
Search for content across the knowledge base
Fetch the full contents of a search result document
Validate notes against their Picoschema definitions.
Analyze existing notes and suggest a Picoschema definition.
Detect drift between a schema definition and actual note usage.
Overview
What is Basic Memory?
Basic Memory is an MCP server that gives AI assistants persistent memory across sessions. It stores knowledge as Markdown files with a knowledge graph and semantic search, and works with Claude, Codex, Cursor, ChatGPT, and any MCP client.
How to use Basic Memory?
You can use Basic Memory via the cloud (30-second sign-up at basicmemory.com) or install locally with uv tool install basic-memory and configure your AI client with the command uvx basic-memory mcp. The cloud version handles hosting and sync; the local version runs on your disk.
Key features of Basic Memory
- Local-first, plain text Markdown on your disk
- Two-way sync between AI and human edits
- Real knowledge graph with observations and wikilinks
- Semantic search by meaning, not just keywords
- MCP-native, works with every major AI client
- Progressive tool discovery with behavior hints
Use cases of Basic Memory
- Continue AI conversations across sessions without losing context
- Build a shared team knowledge base that both humans and AI read and write
- Integrate persistent memory into coding assistants like Claude Code and Cursor
- Sync notes across devices using optional cloud or manual sync (Git, Syncthing)
Frequently asked questions
What are the dependencies for local install?
Local install requires Python and the `uv` tool. The command `uv tool install basic-memory` installs Basic Memory.
Where is my data stored?
In the cloud version, data is hosted on Tigris S3 with snapshots and backups. In the local version, data is stored as plain Markdown files on your disk.
What transports and authentication does Basic Memory support?
It supports stdio (for local desktop clients) and HTTPS (for cloud clients). Cloud authentication is via the web app; local installs require no authentication.
Is Basic Memory open source?
Yes, the source code is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both cloud and local versions use the same open-source engine.
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