Basic Memory vs Pm Claude Skills
Two MCP servers from our productivity ranking, compared on live data - updated nightly, never sponsored.
Bottom line · 2026-08-25
Basic Memory records significantly more monthly package installs (45,226 vs 10,948); both are actively maintained, with commits inside the last month.
How they differ in kind
Basic Memory focuses on: Claude, Codex, or Cursor connected in 30 seconds. Pm Claude Skills focuses on: 🍼 New parent · 💼 Just laid off · 🌍 New to this country · 👵 Caring for a parent · 🕊️ Losing someone · 💸 Money in crisis · 🔑 Starting over · 🤖 Getting serious about AI. Environment-variable extraction: Basic Memory yielded 7 variables; Pm Claude Skills yielded no variables extracted. Implementation languages differ (Python vs HTML).
What each one does
Basic Memory
Claude, Codex, or Cursor connected in 30 seconds. No Python, no JSON, no terminal. $15.00/mo locked in for life (12.50/mo yearly pricing). 7-day free trial - cancel any time before day 7 if it's not for you. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.
From the project's README.
Pm Claude Skills
🍼 New parent · 💼 Just laid off · 🌍 New to this country · 👵 Caring for a parent · 🕊️ Losing someone · 💸 Money in crisis · 🔑 Starting over · 🤖 Getting serious about AI. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.
From the project's README.
14 signals, side by side
| Signal | Basic Memory | Pm Claude Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly installs | 45,226 | 10,948 |
| GitHub stars | 3,749 | 1,308 |
| Last commit | 2026-08-24 | 2026-08-24 |
| Releases · last 90 days | 5 | 10+ |
| In the registry since | Jan 2026 | Jun 2026 |
| Registry versions | 7 | 79 |
| Documented tools | not extracted - see README | not extracted - see README |
| Env vars extracted | 7 | none extracted - see README |
| Runs | local (stdio) | local (stdio) |
| Endpoint auth | local only | local only |
| Maintenance | actively maintained | actively maintained |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | HTML |
| Category rank | #1 of 139 | #4 of 139 |
Environment variables found in the READMEs
These are extracted names, not a requiredness check. Project docs may mark them optional or require other setup.
Basic Memory
- BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED
- BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_ENABLED
- BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_PROVIDER
- BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_MODEL
- COHERE_API_KEY
- BASIC_MEMORY_NO_PROMOS
- BASIC_MEMORY_LOG_LEVEL
Pm Claude Skills
No environment variables were extracted from the README setup. Check the project documentation for other authentication or configuration steps.
Which one, for what
Derived from the signals above, not hands-on testing.
Pick Basic Memory if…
- → you want the more widely installed option - 45,226 monthly installs vs 10,948
- → you prefer a Python codebase to extend or audit
Pick Pm Claude Skills if…
- → release velocity matters - 10+ releases in 90 days vs 5
- → you prefer a HTML codebase to extend or audit
Who's behind them
Basic Memory - basicmachines-co: 1 MCP server tracked, 1 maintained, 3,749 combined stars.
Pm Claude Skills - mohitagw15856: 1 MCP server tracked, 1 maintained, 1,308 combined stars.
Not sold on either?
The next-ranked productivity servers we track:
Quick answers
Is Basic Memory better than Pm Claude Skills?
Package installs favor Basic Memory: 45,226 monthly installs to 10,948. Pm Claude Skills still ranks #4 of 139 maintained productivity servers. Data as of 2026-08-25; we haven't hands-on tested either.
Can I use Basic Memory and Pm Claude Skills together?
Yes - MCP clients accept multiple servers in one config, so you can enable both productivity servers side by side. If their tools overlap, keep the one whose toolset fits to keep your agent's tool list lean.
What environment variables do their READMEs document?
Basic Memory: 7 environment variables extracted from the README setup; Pm Claude Skills: no environment variables extracted from the README setup. Extraction does not rule out other authentication or configuration steps; check each project's current documentation.
Keep exploring: best productivity servers · Python servers · all comparisons · every server
Methodology: package-usage signal = npm/PyPI installs (last month, platform APIs) · maintenance = commit recency + release cadence (GitHub) · tool lists and environment-variable names extracted from each project's README · endpoint auth from our own nightly probes. We haven't hand-tested these servers; everything here is data as of 2026-08-25.