A feature-by-feature comparison with other approaches to AI memory and context management.
| Feature | Cortex | CLAUDE.md | claude-memory | Mem0 | MemGPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic capture | Yes | No (manual) | No (manual) | Yes | Yes |
| Quality gate | Yes (7 rules) | No | No | No | No |
| Local-first | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (cloud) | No |
| Multi-machine sync | Yes (Turso) | No | No | Yes (cloud) | No |
| Session summarizer | Yes (AI) | No | No | No | Yes |
| Dashboard | Yes (Web + Desktop) | No | No | Yes (Web) | No |
| VS Code extension | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| CLI | Yes (30+ commands) | No | Yes (basic) | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes (MIT) | N/A (built-in) | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| You own your data | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| One command install | Yes | N/A | No | No | No |
| Claude Code native | Yes (MCP) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Project isolation | Yes | Per-file | No | No | No |
| Memory search | Yes (FTS + semantic) | No | Basic | Yes | Yes |
Use Cortex if you:
- Work with Claude Code daily
- Want automatic memory capture without manual effort
- Need memories to sync across machines
- Care about privacy and local-first storage
- Want a dashboard to browse and manage memories
Use CLAUDE.md if you:
- Only need a few static instructions per project
- Don't need cross-session memory
- Want zero dependencies
Use Mem0 if you:
- Are building a cloud-hosted AI product
- Don't mind sending data to a third-party service
- Need multi-model support today
Cortex doesn't just dump everything into memory. Seven built-in rules filter out noise, duplicates, and low-value content. Only meaningful decisions, preferences, and project context get saved.
Built as an MCP server, Cortex integrates directly into Claude Code's architecture. No wrappers, no proxies, no hacks.
Your memories live in a local SQLite database. If you want multi-machine sync, Turso provides edge replication without sending data through a centralized cloud.
CLI with 30+ commands, web dashboard, desktop app, and VS Code extension. Cortex meets you where you work.
This comparison was last updated March 2026. If you spot an inaccuracy, open an issue.