Memory (MCP reference server) vs Zep

Memory (MCP reference server)

Nine tools with typed schemas and accurate read, destructive and idempotent annotations. No pagination or limits. read_graph returns everything and search_nodes every match.

Zep

Facts that new data invalidates keep the time they stopped being true. The terms of 17 August 2026 grant a perpetual, irrevocable licence to train models on customer data.

Memory (MCP reference server)

1. Set MEMORY_FILE_PATH to an absolute path. The default sits inside the npx cache
2. Use search_nodes or open_nodes instead of read_graph once the graph has more than a few hundred entities
3. Make memory writes one at a time. Parallel calls in one turn can overwrite each other in 2026.8.31
4. Create both entities before create_relations. A missing endpoint fails the whole batch
5. Keep observations short and factual. They come back verbatim in every later read

Zep

1. Create the user and a thread before adding messages, as the quickstart does
2. Set return_context when adding messages to skip a second round trip
3. Keep episodes short. Every 350 bytes past the first costs another credit
4. Read Retry-After on a 429 and back off with jitter. Free accounts over quota drop to 5 requests a minute
5. Expect a delay after a graph add (202 Accepted) before new facts show up in search