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Hydrate vs Basic Memory
personal memoryMCP server turning AI conversations into a local markdown knowledge base shared across any MCP client (Codex notes available in Claude Code/Cursor). Validates the cross-vendor gap, but shared static notes over MCP — not team canon or live capture.
What Basic Memory is
| Stack / runtime | MCP server (Python); plain Markdown source of truth + semantic search |
| Licence | Open source |
| Storage | Plain Markdown files (optional cloud sync) |
| Hooks | None (AI writes notes via MCP) |
| Injection | On-demand MCP retrieval / semantic search |
| Scope | Cross-tool: Claude, Codex, Cursor, Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, any MCP |
| Maturity | Open source; active (Discord community) |
| Price | Free OSS; optional cloud sync |
| Version referenced | 2026 |
| Source | github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory |
Where Basic Memory leads
- Transparent, portable markdown storage (human-readable/editable)
- Broad MCP client reach out of the box; open source
- Optional (not mandatory) cloud sync
Where Hydrate leads
- Automatic decision capture vs AI-written notes
- Automatic pre-prompt injection vs on-demand MCP retrieval
- Team canon propagation with attribution + merge
- Live cross-vendor sessions + orchestration
Verification notes
Cited in landscape doc §7 as uncatalogued — now catalogued. Cross-tool NOTE STORE, not a live bridge. Related namesake to watch: iamtouchskyer/memex (Zettelkasten markdown+git).
Sources
- Primary repo https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory
- Docs (Codex integration) https://docs.basicmemory.com/integrations/codex