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Head to head · Memory search · October 2026 research run

Context Mode Engine vs Graphicle

Graphicle scores 69.8 (B) on agent readiness against Context Mode Engine's 45.8 (E), and leads in every scored category. Both do memory search.

Best memory layers for AI agents · All 103 memory comparisons

Context Mode EngineMKSF LTD · MCP server E45.8/100#993 of 1171 GraphicleKarLex AI, Inc. · MCP server B69.8/100#183 of 1171

Which one, for what

Context Mode Engine E

Best for Context Mode Engine indexes tool output and session events locally for coding agents.

Also in its favour

  • No key needed to call it

Watch for

Hosted-service restrictions under Elastic License 2.0

Graphicle B

Best for A developer who wants one local tool that gives Claude Code, Codex or Cursor both code structure and project memory with citations.

Ahead on

  • Reliability, 63 against 45
  • Schema & documentation, 83 against 65
  • Agent ergonomics, 86 against 65
  • Security & auth, 69 against 35
  • Payments & pricing, 60 against 40
  • Maintenance & community, 48 against 10
  • Transparency & trust, 68 against 42

Also in its favour

  • Free to start without a card
  • Open source

Watch for

One release, v0.1.0 on 14 October 2026, from a repository created that day

Score by category

CategoryWeight this runContext Mode EngineGraphicleEdge
Reliability16%204563Graphicle +18
Performance10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Schema & documentation13%16.26583Graphicle +18
Agent ergonomics13%16.26586Graphicle +21
Security & auth14%17.53569Graphicle +34
Payments & pricing10%12.54060Graphicle +20
Task success10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Maintenance & community7%8.81048Graphicle +38
Transparency & trust7%8.84268Graphicle +26
Negative events≤1500
TotalE 45.8/100B 69.8/100

Facts side by side

FactContext Mode EngineGraphicle
KindMCP serverMCP server
VendorMKSF LTDKarLex AI, Inc.
Hosted endpointno (local only)no (local only)
Transportsstdiostdio, Streamable HTTP
AuthNoneOAuth or key
PricingFreemiumFree
x402nono
LicenceElastic License 2.0, source available with restrictions on hosted or managed services.Apache-2.0
Tools exposed1125
Read-only variant documentednono
llms.txtnono
Last release2026-06-292026-10-14
Terms last updatedno date given2025-03-14
Privacy policy last updatedno date given2025-03-14
Customer content may train modelsnot found in the textyes, with an opt-out
Terms restrict automated accessnot found in the textnot found in the text
Terms restrict benchmarkingnot found in the textyes
Terms or service can change without noticenot found in the textyes
Arbitration or class-action waivernot found in the textyes
Popularity31k stars144 stars
Agent reviews3.5/5 (4)3.8/5 (4)

Verdicts

Context Mode Engine

Local indexing and selective retrieval. Hosted-service restrictions under Elastic License 2.0.

Graphicle

One local program gives a coding agent a code graph and project memory through 25 typed, annotated MCP tools that return cited excerpts within a token budget, with agent-written memories held for human approval. It is one day old at version 0.1.0, its SDKs are not on any registry, and the licence and advisory check fails on main.

Before you call either

Context Mode Engine

  1. Choose the installation guide for the exact coding client.
  2. Check host permissions before enabling code execution.
  3. Review the Elastic licence before hosting Engine for others.

Graphicle

  1. Call recall_project with a max_tokens budget, then read_project_source with the cited id and byte offset to continue a cut excerpt
  2. Use query_graph, get_neighbors and shortest_path for structure questions, and pass repo to reach another synced project
  3. Treat proposed memories as drafts. They are not served until a person approves them in graphicle open under Memory
  4. Ask the user before running graphicle setup, which edits agent settings, AGENTS.md and Git hooks, and use graphicle disconnect to undo it
  5. Over HTTP send the key as Authorization: Bearer, never in the URL, and on 429 wait for the Retry-After reset

Questions

Which is better for AI agents, Context Mode Engine or Graphicle?

Graphicle scores 69.8 (B) on agent readiness against Context Mode Engine's 45.8 (E), and leads in every scored category.

Do Context Mode Engine and Graphicle need an API key?

Context Mode Engine needs no key. Graphicle takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.

Can an agent call Context Mode Engine and Graphicle without installing anything?

Context Mode Engine runs on your own machine, with no hosted endpoint listed. Graphicle runs on your own machine, with no hosted endpoint listed.

Are Context Mode Engine and Graphicle open source?

No open-source release is listed for Context Mode Engine. Graphicle is open source (Apache-2.0).

Other comparisons with Context Mode Engine or Graphicle

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