Memory Tool

Basic Memory

A local-first knowledge base that syncs plain-Markdown notes into an MCP-accessible semantic store.

Type: Memory Tool
Repository: basicmachines-co/basic-memory
GitHub stars: 4.0k
License: AGPL-3.0
Repo last updated: Sep 26, 2026
Source file: README.md

What Basic Memory is

Basic Memory is a memory tool published in the basicmachines-co/basic-memory repository on GitHub, which has about 4.0k stars. The repository describes itself as: “AI conversations that actually remember. Never re-explain your project to your AI again. Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tyvKNccgqN”

Basic Memory is a community resource for extending Claude Code and Claude Cowork. Check the repository README for how the author intends it to be used.

Because resources like this change often, read the source before you rely on it and pin the version you tested.

How to install Basic Memory

Claude Code

Download the source file from the repository.
Save it as ~/.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md for all projects, or .claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md for one project.
Claude loads it automatically when a task matches; you can also run it with / and its name.

Claude Cowork

Zip the skill folder so SKILL.md sits at the top level of the folder.
Open Customize → Skills, click +, then upload the ZIP.
Start a task that matches the description, or call it by name with /.

New to extending Cowork? Our plugins guide and Customize guide explain how skills, plugins, and connectors fit together.

Inside the source file

An excerpt from README.md, shared under the repository's AGPL-3.0 license. Read the full file on GitHub.

Skip the install — try Basic Memory in the cloud

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. Beta pricing — sign up now and your rate never goes up. OSS users: code BMFOSS takes another 20% off for 3 months.

Start free trial →

Basic Memory Teams is now available!

Give your team a single, shared cloud workspace. Knowledge isn't confined to one person — anything a teammate writes is immediately available to everyone else and to their AI assistants. Edit a note together in real time, hand work off between humans and agents, and build one connected knowledge base instead of scattered copies. Same pricing - start with one user and add more as needed.

Basic Memory

Your AI never forgets again.

Pick up right where you left off — in Claude, Codex, Cursor, ChatGPT, or anything that speaks MCP. Your knowledge lives as Markdown files that both you and your AI can read, write, and search.

Local-first. Plain text on your disk. Forever.
Two-way. AI and humans write to the same files; sync keeps them in step.
A real knowledge graph. Observations and wikilinks compound into context.
Semantic search. Find notes by meaning, not just keywords, with optional cross-encoder reranking for higher-quality vector and hybrid results.
MCP-native. Works with every major AI client and IDE.
Progressive tool discovery. Every tool is tagged with behavior hints (read-only, destructive, idempotent) so agents pick the right tool on demand — no wasted context trying things to see what they do.
Cloud, optional. Sync across devices when you want — never required.

Get started

Pick the path that fits you. Both run the same product on the same Markdown.

☁️   Cloud 💻   Local install

30 seconds. Sign up, connect your AI client, done.

Works in any browser
Mobile, web, desktop
Cross-device sync built in
We handle hosting, backups, snapshots

$15.00/mo locked for life · 7-day free trial · cancel any time

Start free trial →

2 minutes. Install, configure your AI client, run.

Free forever (AGPL-3.0)
All data on your disk
Air-gapped friendly
Requires Python via uv

uv tool install basic-memory --prerelease=allow

--prerelease=allow is required: Basic Memory 0.23 depends on a FastMCP 4 pre-release, and uv only accepts pre-releases of transitive dependencies when told to — without the flag it silently installs an older release. The same flag goes on every uvx / uv tool upgrade command below.

For Postgres deployments that store semantic vectors in Milvus, install the first-party optional extra instead:

uv tool install "basic-memory[milvus]" --prerelease=allow

Configure your client ↓

What people are saying

> Basic Memory changed my whole relationship with LLMs. I switched from GPT > and Gemini to exclusively Claude and Claude Code because of this > integration and am completely revamping all our company's processes around > a Basic Memory workflow. > > — Alex, TrainerDay

> Basic Memory is the missing 'wow' factor in AI chatbots. Now I can't > imagine Claude or Claude Code without it. > > — Caleb, Caleb Picker Consulting

Before you install

Read the whole file first. Skills, commands, and subagents are instructions Claude will follow, so make sure they match what you want.
Check which tools, scripts, or MCP servers it uses. Local servers and scripts run with your permissions.
Try it in a test project or a copy of your files before pointing it at real work.
Pin the version you tested, and review changes before updating.
Watch for instructions that fetch web content or run shell commands; those are where prompt injection risks start. See our prompt injection guide.

FAQ

What is Basic Memory?

Basic Memory is a memory tool for Claude Code and Claude Cowork from the basicmachines-co/basic-memory repository on GitHub. A local-first knowledge base that syncs plain-Markdown notes into an MCP-accessible semantic store.

How do I install Basic Memory in Claude Code?

Download the source file from the repository. Save it as ~/.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md for all projects, or .claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md for one project. Claude loads it automatically when a task matches; you can also run it with / and its name.

Can I use Basic Memory in Claude Cowork?

Zip the skill folder so SKILL.md sits at the top level of the folder. Open Customize → Skills, click +, then upload the ZIP. Start a task that matches the description, or call it by name with /.

Is Basic Memory safe to install?

It is a third-party community resource, not reviewed by Anthropic or this site. Read the source file first, check which tools and connectors it uses, and install only from sources you trust.

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Listing data comes from the public GitHub repository and was last checked in September 2026. Excerpts are © their authors and shared under AGPL-3.0. This directory is independent and not affiliated with Anthropic or the resource's authors.