Basic Memory MCP Server

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.

People connecting productivity tools to Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in Python.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-08-24 · ★ 3,749 · #1 OF 139 MAINTAINED PRODUCTIVITY · VERIFIED 2026-08-25

AGPL-3.0 · Python servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Basic Memory

before you install - you'll need

Set 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 before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add basicmachines-co-basic-memory -- uvx basic-memory

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basicmachines-co-basic-memory": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "basic-memory"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions

license AGPL-3.0 - declared in the repository

pypi package basic-memory - check the name against the project README before installing (PyPI has no namespace ownership)

registry namespace io.github.basicmachines-co is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Basic Memory can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Latest releases

v0.23.0 · 2026-08-24

repair FTS half of hybrid search for natural-language queries · fix stale basicmachines.co post-release step · Update README.md · validate Auto BM webhook · remove legacy Basic Memory workflow · make local Postgres…

skills-latest · 2026-07-15

Rolling skill archives built from 8c5410cd30ac8f4f0873d379bae9e3135fc327a4.

v0.22.1 · 2026-06-13

route release recipes through PRs and refresh release runbook · preload deferred rich/typer modules before in-place upgrade · require line-anchored frontmatter fences in file_utils · allow setting default project when…

04 · Who maintains Basic Memory

basic-memory is maintained by basicmachines-co. It's the only MCP server we track from this author; the repo dates to Dec 2024.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory
category: productivity - ranked #1 of 139 actively-maintained productivity servers as of 2026-08-25.
release cadence: 5 releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-08-24)
registry: io.github.basicmachines-co/basic-memory (active, first published 2026-01-19 · 7 versions)
packages: pypi:basic-memory

06 · Basic Memory FAQ

What is Basic Memory?

Is Basic Memory still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-08-25, its last commit was 2026-08-24 and it shipped 5 releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install Basic Memory?

Run `uvx basic-memory`. The README documents 7 environment variables (BASIC_MEMORY_SEMANTIC_SEARCH_ENABLED, BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_ENABLED, BASIC_MEMORY_RERANKER_PROVIDER…) to set first. Set 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 before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Basic Memory run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via uvx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Basic Memory

Alternatives to Basic Memory

Maintained productivity servers if Basic Memory isn't the fit.

Pairs well with

Servers that cover what Basic Memory doesn't - only shown when the pairing reason fits the companion.

head to head · Basic Memory vs Praison AI · Basic Memory vs Server Trello · Basic Memory vs Pm Claude Skills

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