Basic Memory is an AGPL-3.0 local-first knowledge base for AI agents: a Python MCP server that reads and writes markdown notes on your disk, links them into a knowledge graph through observations and wikilinks, and layers semantic search on top, with an optional paid cloud. **Its bet is that the files remain the source of truth and everything else, the graph, the search, the sync, is a view over them, so the human and the agent edit the same notes.** ## What it is A Python MCP server from Basic Machines (PyPI basic-memory 0.23.2, Python 3.12+), usable from any MCP client: Claude, Codex, Cursor, ChatGPT. Notes are Obsidian-compatible markdown with observations and wikilinks that compound into a knowledge graph. Search is semantic with optional cross-encoder reranking for hybrid and vector results. Every tool is tagged with behavior hints (read-only, destructive, idempotent) for progressive tool discovery, so agents pick the right tool without probing. The cloud adds cross-device sync, browser and mobile access, and a shared Teams workspace; the local server stays free and air-gapped. ## Status **Active and mid-scale, with a thin public-discussion footprint.** 4,108 stars with the repository pushed 2026-10-07, created 2024-12-02, as of 2026-10-07 (GitHub API). Star History Chart The PyPI release (0.23.2) dates to 2026-08-25, so the registry lags the active repository. The Hacker News record is a 4-point Show HN in March 2025 (0 comments) and a 2-point third-party story in February 2026, so the 4.1k stars came through the MCP-ecosystem channels (registry listings, Discord) rather than public debate. ## Strengths - **Plain markdown on your disk is the canonical store**, so exit is git and the human side already has a mature editor in Obsidian. - The agent and the human write to the same files with sync keeping them in step, which most agent-memory products only pretend to offer. - Semantic search with optional reranking is a step past the FTS-only local stores in this category. - Behavior-tagged tools (read-only, destructive, idempotent) cut the wasted context of agents probing what tools do. ## Cautions - **AGPL-3.0 is the only non-permissive local license in this category**: fine to use, restrictive if you embed the server in a product. - **The beta's locked-for-life cloud rate was retired within a day of this note's creation**: the ladder is now per-seat Team and Business tiers, which is exactly the repricing the beta language invited, so treat early rates here as non-binding. - PyPI lags the repository by weeks, so current fixes mean installing from source. - The knowledge graph is only as good as the agent's linking discipline, the same statistical-adherence problem the file conventions have, with a graph view added. - Public scrutiny is thin: two threads totaling 6 points, no independent reviews found. ## Pricing Local server: free, AGPL-3.0, all data on your disk. Team: $15/seat/month (volume pricing $13/seat at 10 or more, $12 at 20 or more), 7-day trial, shared workspaces with roles and member management. Business: $30/seat/month, adding SSO, audit logs, admin controls, HIPAA-compliant hosting, and priority support. Agent Infrastructure: custom, credit-based pricing for agent fleets with on-premises options, as of 2026-10-07. The $15/month locked-for-life beta is gone. ## Price history | Date | Plan | Change | Source | | ---- | ---- | ------ | ------ | | 2026-10-06 | Cloud, Teams | Baseline: local free (AGPL-3.0), Cloud $15/mo beta locked ($12.50/mo yearly), 7-day trial, Teams same per-user price. | [basicmemory.com](https://basicmemory.com) | | 2026-10-07 | Team, Business, Agent Infrastructure | The locked-for-life beta retired: Team $15/seat/mo (volume $13/seat at 10+, $12 at 20+), Business $30/seat/mo (SSO, audit, HIPAA hosting), Agent Infrastructure custom credits. | [basicmemory.com/pricing](https://basicmemory.com/pricing) | ## Compared to - [Cabinet](../cabinet/index.md): both are markdown knowledge bases; Cabinet brings its own onboarded agent team and scheduler, Basic Memory is a server your existing agent talks to through MCP. - [File-based agent memory](../file-based-agent-memory/index.md): the raw convention costs nothing and lives in the repo; Basic Memory adds the graph, semantic search, and cross-machine sync on top. - [Memoryfields](../memoryfields/index.md): a portable format spec with minimal tooling, where Basic Memory is a working server; Memoryfields for transport between parties, Basic Memory for daily use on one disk. ## Bottom line **Recommended for solo Claude or Codex users who want durable, Obsidian-editable agent memory without running a graph stack.** Not for products embedding a memory engine (AGPL); teams get live shared workspaces with roles, though governance tooling (SSO, audit logs) starts at the $30 Business seat. ## Changes - 2026-10-06 - Created from the 2026-10-06 entrant scan, with six fetched sources and the thin-discussion footprint plus the beta-pricing terms recorded as the critical angles. - 2026-10-07 - Added the basicmachines-co/basic-memory star history chart to the Status section. - 2026-10-07 - The cloud pricing restructured: the $15/mo locked-for-life beta retired in favor of Team $15/seat/mo with volume tiers, a new Business $30/seat/mo tier, and a custom credit-based Agent Infrastructure tier (Price history row); Teams moved from early to live with roles; the beta-repricing caution rewritten. ## See also - [Memory Feature Matrix](../memory-feature-matrix/index.md) - the category comparison this note joins - [Cabinet](../cabinet/index.md) - the markdown knowledge base with its own agent team - [File-based agent memory](../file-based-agent-memory/index.md) - the convention this productizes with a server - [Memoryfields](../memoryfields/index.md) - the portable-format sibling ## References - https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory - repository, 4,108 stars, activity, AGPL-3.0, as of 2026-10-07 - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/main/README.md - architecture, features, the cloud pricing banner, and the Teams announcement - https://basicmemory.com - product site and cloud offering - https://basicmemory.com/pricing - the Team, Business, and Agent Infrastructure ladder, as of 2026-10-07 - https://pypi.org/pypi/basic-memory/json - basic-memory 0.23.2 (2026-08-25), the registry lag record - https://hn.algolia.com/api/v1/items/43374258 - the March 2025 Show HN (4 points, 0 comments) - https://hn.algolia.com/api/v1/items/47091810 - the February 2026 third-party story (2 points), the thin-discussion record