Basic Memory MCP Server

Content

Basic Memory MCP Server gives Claude and other MCP clients a persistent knowledge base built from Markdown files. It combines note writing, editing, semantic search, recent activity, wikilinks, observations, and knowledge graph context so conversations can continue from project memory instead of restarting from scratch.

The project is local-first and AGPL-licensed, with an optional paid cloud path for hosted sync, team workspaces, snapshots, and cross-device access. The same repository also includes host-native packages such as a Claude Code plugin and shared skills, but this entry is scoped to the MCP server exposed by uvx basic-memory mcp.

Source Review

• https://basicmemory.com
• https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory
• https://docs.basicmemory.com
• https://pypi.org/pypi/basic-memory/json
• https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/blob/main/README.md
• https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/blob/main/server.json
• https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/blob/main/pyproject.toml
• https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory/blob/main/LICENSE

These sources were reviewed on 2026-06-06. Prefer the live website, documentation, repository, MCP metadata, PyPI metadata, and license for current install commands, supported clients, tool lists, cloud behavior, telemetry controls, and licensing.

Features

• Local-first Markdown notes that humans and Claude can both read and write.
• Stdio setup with uvx basic-memory mcp.
• Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, ChatGPT, Obsidian, and generic MCP-client guidance.
• Content tools including write_note, read_note, edit_note, move_note, delete_note, read_content, and view_note.
• Search and discovery tools including search, search_notes, recent_activity, and list_directory.
• Knowledge graph tools including build_context and Obsidian canvas generation.
• Project tools for listing, creating, selecting, routing, and checking sync status.
• Schema tools for inferring, validating, and diffing knowledge-base structure.
• Optional cloud tools and per-project cloud routing.
• Semantic search with full-text and vector ranking.
• Tool annotations for read-only, destructive, idempotent, and open-world behavior hints.

Installation

For Claude Code, the README documents:

claude mcp add basic-memory -- uvx basic-memory mcp

For MCP clients that use JSON configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "basic-memory": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["basic-memory", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}

After connecting, choose the project that should hold the Markdown notes and verify that Claude can search existing notes before allowing write operations.

Use Cases

• Ask Claude to create a note for an architecture decision, incident finding, or research summary.
• Search project memory before starting a new implementation task.
• Build context around a note or relation before continuing a conversation.
• Track recent activity across project notes.
• Keep Obsidian-readable Markdown in sync with agent-authored notes.
• Import old Claude or ChatGPT conversations into a searchable knowledge base.
• Validate the inferred schema of a shared project memory space.
• Route selected projects through the cloud while keeping others local.
• Pair Basic Memory's MCP server with its Claude Code plugin for session briefings and checkpoint workflows.

Safety and Privacy

Basic Memory is a memory system, so its main risk is durable context. Notes can outlive a single conversation, be searched later, and be synced to other devices or teammates. Review proposed writes, edits, moves, deletes, imports, schema changes, and cloud-routing changes before allowing Claude to apply them.

Keep sensitive credentials, customer records, private project paths, regulated data, and imported conversation archives out of notes unless the local storage, sync path, retention policy, and model provider are approved for that data. Back up important Markdown before model-assisted cleanup or schema work, and review telemetry, log level, promo, and cloud settings for sensitive projects.

Disclosure

Basic Memory offers both an open-source local MCP server and an optional paid cloud service. This listing is not sponsored, paid, or affiliate-driven, and it is scoped to the source-backed MCP server.

Duplicate Check

No Basic Memory, basicmachines-co/basic-memory, or basic-memory mcp entry was found in content/mcp, content/tools, content/guides, content/agents, or content/skills.