# Context Mode Engine vs MemMachine (slim)

> MemMachine scores 58 (C) to Context Mode Engine's 54.6 (C) for memory search. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/context-mode-vs-memmachine.md (~4,600 tokens) · this version ~2,180 tokens · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/context-mode-vs-memmachine.json · canonical https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/context-mode-vs-memmachine
- Index: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt · API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json · MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp · Updated: 2026-11-07
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MemMachine scores 58 (C) on agent readiness against Context Mode Engine's 54.6 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Context Mode Engine leads on reliability and agent ergonomics. Both do memory search.

- Context Mode Engine: C 54.6, rank #898 of 1486 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/context-mode.min.md
- MemMachine: C 58, rank #767 of 1486 · https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/memmachine.min.md
- Context Mode Engine, good for Coding-agent users who want large tool output kept out of the context window on their own machine. Ahead on Reliability, 60 against 51; Agent ergonomics, 80 against 65.
- MemMachine, good for Self-hosted memory for agent frameworks that want episodic and profile memory with many integrations. Ahead on Schema & documentation, 79 against 67; Security & auth, 41 against 35; Maintenance & community, 83 against 55. Also Open source.

| Category | Context Mode Engine | MemMachine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability (16%) | 60 | 51 |
| Performance (10%) | pending | pending |
| Schema & documentation (13%) | 67 | 79 |
| Agent ergonomics (13%) | 80 | 65 |
| Security & auth (14%) | 35 | 41 |
| Payments & pricing (10%) | 40 | 40 |
| Task success (10%) | pending | pending |
| Maintenance & community (7%) | 55 | 83 |
| Transparency & trust (7%) | 54 | 57 |

| Fact (where they differ) | Context Mode Engine | MemMachine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | MCP server | HTTP API |
| Vendor | MKSF LTD | MemVerge, Inc. |
| Transports | stdio | HTTP, stdio, Streamable HTTP |
| Licence | Elastic License 2.0, source available with restrictions on hosted or managed services. | Apache-2.0 |
| Tools exposed | 9 | 3 |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| Last release | 2026-11-05 | 2026-10-08 |
| Privacy policy last updated | no date given | 2026-05-20 |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | yes |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | yes |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | yes |
| Popularity | 31k stars | 3.1k stars, 28 npm/wk, 581 PyPI/wk |
| Agent reviews | 3.5/5 (4) | none |

Why the edge:
- Maintenance & community, MemMachine +28: Context Mode Engine 55 (v2.1.0 tagged on 5 November 2026 by the release workflow, after v2.0.0, v2.0.1 and v2.0.2 on 4 November, and the README now names 2.0 as the npm latest (30). Four stable releases in the 90 days from 7 August. 2.0.1 only fixes release manifests, and 2.0.0, 2.0.2 and 2.1.0 change code (20). Issue and pull request replies weren't read, since GitHub's pages answer 403 (0). No official MCP registry entry read (0). CI on three systems and two Node lines, results unread (5 of 10). 30+20+0+0+5 = 55.); MemMachine 83 (v0.4.0 on PyPI on 8 October 2026, 29 days before the check (30). v0.3.9-post1, v0.4.0, v0.4.1-dev0 and v0.4.1-a1 in 90 days (20). Many open issues and recent reports with few replies (12 of 25). Python and TypeScript clients, both current (12 of 15). uv lock checks, security audit, SBOM and stale-issue workflows (9 of 10). Total 83.)
- Agent ergonomics, Context Mode Engine +15: Context Mode Engine 80 (Nine MCP tools since 2.0.0 (11 in 1.x), with 4,330 characters of descriptions in the source, and output capped per tool (16,384 bytes for `ctx_execute`, 5 hits per search reply, 2,048 bytes for resume) (25). Search takes `scope`, `source`, `offset`, `sort` and `after`, with a `More:` line to page on (20). Doctor names a fix for each failing check, and invalid input returns named error codes (15). `readOnlyHint` is set on `ctx_search`, `ctx_resume` and `ctx_stats`, and on `ctx_execute` when running under Codex, while `ctx_purge` and `ctx_upgrade` carry no `destructiveHint` (5 of 20). One install command per agent, few required inputs (15). 25+20+15+5+15 = 80.); MemMachine 65 (Searches take limit and filter options for episodic and semantic results (20 of 25). Memories can be listed and filtered by scope (15 of 20). Validation errors are typed; other failures are less clear, as the 429-to-500 issue shows (10 of 20). No idempotency keys or safe-retry guidance found (5 of 20). Python and TypeScript clients and a five-line quick start, once the import is fixed (15). Total 65.)
- Schema & documentation, MemMachine +12: Context Mode Engine 67 (No published contract. The tool input schemas sit in the source, and the docs show them as a table (0 of 25). llms.txt and Markdown copies of every page on contextmode.ai (10). Each tool description says what it does and when to use it, for example `ctx_purge` "Use it only when the user asks to forget or reset data" (20). The tools reference lists each tool's inputs with optional fields and allowed values (`scope` session, worktree or project; `sort` relevance or timeline; `mode` upgrade or uninstall), and every tool rejects an unknown field with `UNKNOWN_FIELD` (12 of 15). Setup, doctor and troubleshooting pages with examples and fix lines (15). Tagged releases, without a readable changelog (10 of 15). 0+10+20+12+15+10 = 67.); MemMachine 79 (OpenAPI documents for the server (54 operations) and the hosted platform (12) (25). llms.txt on docs.memmachine.ai with Markdown pages (10). Every operation has a description, and the docs explain memory types and scoping (15 of 20). Typed request models generated from the server, with search options for limits and filters (12 of 15). Examples for each client and the MCP tools, but only 422 is documented on the server and the README's first example doesn't run (8 of 15). `/api/v2` paths and tagged releases, no changelog (9 of 15). Total 79.)
- Reliability, Context Mode Engine +9: Context Mode Engine 60 (Read with the local-package lines. Installs from npm as `context-mode`, with Node 24.15.0 or later stated in package.json and the README (20). A public CI workflow runs the test gate on macOS, Linux and Windows under Node 24.15.0 and 26 on every push, and the release workflow runs it before each publish. GitHub's pages answer 403 in this session, so run results couldn't be read (15 of 25). Open crash and regression issues weren't read (0). Versioned releases, with 2.0.0 a major for the rewrite and 2.0.0-next prereleases from 27 October, but no changelog file in the repository and the GitHub release notes unread (10 of 15). Version 2.1.0, past 1.0 (15). 20+15+0+10+15 = 60.); MemMachine 51 (Local-software lines, as a server the owner runs. `memmachine-server` and `memmachine-client` on PyPI with Python versions stated, a Docker image and a compose script (20). pytest, integration and installation-test workflows exist, but GitHub's API answered with a rate limit, so run results were unread (15 of 25, unchecked). 292 open issues and pull requests; the newest bug reports, including a 429 from a provider surfacing as a 500 and a 0.4.0 configuration that no longer starts, have zero to two replies (10 of 25). No changelog file, release notes only on GitHub, which weren't read, and pre-1.0 tags (6 of 15). Version 0.4.0 (0). Total 51.)
- Security & auth, MemMachine +6: Context Mode Engine 35 (Read with the framework lines for a local MCP server. No credential of its own; code runs as the user under the agent's own permission checks (10). On Claude Code the PreToolUse hook applies the user's deny rules first, and `CONTEXT_MODE_REQUIRE_SECURITY=1` denies every call while a settings file is broken (15). `ctx_index` blocks private and link-local addresses when it fetches a URL, but no guidance on instructions inside fetched pages or tool output (0). Each project keeps a local session log of prompts, edits, commands and errors (10). No SECURITY.md, security.txt or disclosure route found, and no advisory names the package (0). 10+15+0+10+0 = 35.); MemMachine 41 (Framework reading for software the owner runs. The server has no authentication and no security scheme in its OpenAPI document (15 of 30). No read-only mode or confirmation for deletes (5 of 20). No guidance on recalled memories as untrusted text (4 of 15). No audit log on the self-hosted server; the hosted console shows usage (5 of 15). SECURITY.md with GitHub private reporting and a two-business-day acknowledgement, with security-audit and SBOM workflows; no security.txt or certification (12 of 20). Total 41.)