kaeru
★ 40
vs
context-mode
★ 31.7k
kaeru vs context-mode
kaeru: Kaeru is a local-first, cross-agent cognitive engine for LLM agents, providing a typed property graph and a recollection layer for long-term memory. It enables multi-session and multi-agent continuity, allowing agents to maintain full context, follow provenance, and build on shared knowledge over time.; context-mode: Every tool call in an MCP (Model-Controller-Program) environment dumps raw data into the context window, quickly consuming space and causing the agent to lose track of ongoing tasks. Context Mode is an MCP server that tackles this by sandboxing tool outputs to significantly reduce context usage, tracking session events in SQLite for continuity, and promoting 'think in code' to minimize data processing within the LLM.
01
TL;DR
kaeruMemory & Context · ★ 40
An agent needs to recall its thought process and project context from a previous session.
context-modeMemory & Context · ★ 31.7k
When to choose:
- Your sessions fill up with tool output such as Playwright snapshots, GitHub issue lists or logs.
- You want work state (edits, git operations, tasks, decisions) to survive context compaction without being dumped back into the window.
- You use a hook-capable agent, where tool routing happens automatically.
When to skip:
- You need an OSI open-source licence: it uses the Elastic License 2.0, which restricts uses such as offering it as a managed service.
- Your sessions are short and rarely hit the context limit.
- You do not want hooks changing how your agent's tools behave.
02
Side-by-Side Comparison
Field
kaerucontext-modeCategory
Memory & Context
Memory & Context
Stars
★ 40
★ 31.7k
License
MIT
Elastic License 2.0
Install Command
git clone https://github.com/kaerulabs/kaeru.git && cd kaeru && cargo build --release
npm install -g context-mode
Updated
2d ago
1d ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Tags
LLM Agents, Knowledge Graph, Bi-temporal Database
antigravity, claude, claude-code
03
Features
kaeru01Two-tier graph (operational/hippocampus and archival/cortex) for active thinking and settled knowledge.
02Bi-temporal nature with native assertion/retraction history for time-travel queries and non-destructive conflict resolution.
03Per-initiative scoping and layered re-entry to restore project context across sessions and access archival knowledge on demand.
04Optional cross-agent sharing through a cloud tier, allowing trusted teams to share settled knowledge with safety gates.
05Structural recall based on exact name lookup, typed graph traversal, and FTS fuzzy fallback, rather than primarily vector embeddings.
context-mode01Context Saving: Sandbox tools keep raw data out of the context window, achieving up to 98% reduction.
02Session Continuity: Tracks every file edit, git operation, task, and user decision in SQLite for seamless session resume.
03Think in Code: Promotes LLMs to program analysis, not compute it, saving 100x context by logging only results.
04Batch Execution & Search: Run multiple commands/queries in one call with tools like `ctx_batch_execute`.
05Advanced Knowledge Base: Uses SQLite FTS5 with BM25 ranking, smart snippets, and TTL cache for efficient information retrieval.
04
Use Cases
kaeru↳An agent needs to recall its thought process and project context from a previous session.
↳A team of agents needs to share and build upon a collective, long-term knowledge base.
↳An agent wants to capture new observations or hypotheses within a specific project scope.
↳Tracing the provenance and history of a piece of knowledge or a decision made by an agent.
context-mode↳Deep repository research and analysis (e.g., architecture, contributors, issues)
↳Analyze Git history to identify top contributors, commit frequency, and most changed files
↳Efficiently process large JSON APIs, web pages, or logs without flooding the context window
05
Best For
kaeru—
context-modeMost PopularTrending
FAQ
FAQ
What is the difference between kaeru and context-mode?
Both kaeru and context-mode are in the Memory & Context category. kaeru has 40 stars, while context-mode has 31.7k stars.
Which is better, kaeru or context-mode?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose kaeru if An agent needs to recall its thought process and project context from a previous session., and context-mode if Deep repository research and analysis (e.g., architecture, contributors, issues).
Is kaeru free or open source?
Yes, kaeru is open source on GitHub (MIT).
Is context-mode free or open source?
Yes, context-mode is open source on GitHub (Elastic License 2.0).
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