Basic MemoryvsRetain
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Basic Memory | Retain | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 69/100 | 41/100 |
| Rank in category | #9 of 42 in Knowledge Management | #88 of 120 in AI Assistant |
| GitHub stars | 4 418 | 168 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +377 | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 17 | 0 |
| Latest release | v1.0.0 · 29 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Python | Swift |
Which one should you pick?
Basic Memory scores 69/100 against 41/100 for Retain, so it is the safer default.
Basic Memory ships more often: 17 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Retain.
If you want the quickest setup, Retain is easier to run; Basic Memory needs more configuration.
Basic Memory is growing faster right now (+377 stars in 30 days).
Basic Memory details →Retain details →
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