AgentIndex icon
AgentIndex
context-mode logo
context-mode
★ 31.8k
vs
agent-memory logo
agent-memory
★ 15

context-mode vs agent-memory

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.; agent-memory: Agent-memory offers local, Git-native project memory for AI coding agents, leveraging Markdown as the single source of truth for durable, human-reviewable, and secret-safe knowledge. It facilitates structured memory updates and seamless integration with various agent runtimes, operating entirely locally without external cloud or vector database dependencies.

01

TL;DR

context-mode logo
context-modeMemory & Context · ★ 31.8k
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.
Read context-mode full review →
agent-memory logo
agent-memoryMemory & Context · ★ 15

Bootstrapping an AI agent's project memory from an existing codebase.

Read agent-memory full review →
02

Side-by-Side Comparison

Field
context-mode logocontext-mode
agent-memory logoagent-memory
Category
Memory & Context
Memory & Context
Stars
★ 31.8k
★ 15
License
Elastic License 2.0
Apache-2.0
Install Command
npm install -g context-mode
npx -y @xchucx/agent-memory --help
Updated
1d ago
3w ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Website
↗ Visit
↗ Visit
GitHub
↗ GitHub
↗ GitHub
Tags
antigravity, claude, claude-code
AI Agent Memory, Git Versioning, Markdown Knowledge Base
03

Features

context-mode logocontext-mode
01Context 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.
agent-memory logoagent-memory
01Git-native, Markdown-based memory with version control.
02Human review gate for durable changes via diffs.
03Automated scanning and rejection of secrets/PII on write.
04Fully local operation without cloud or vector database dependencies.
05Verifiable Task Protocol (VTP-1) for cryptographic task lifecycle.
06Federated memory for referencing shared, read-only 'landscape' stores.
04

Use Cases

context-mode logocontext-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
agent-memory logoagent-memory
↳Bootstrapping an AI agent's project memory from an existing codebase.
↳Recording and reviewing durable architectural decisions and conventions.
↳Discovering peer solutions and operational context via federated memory.
↳Ensuring safe, non-breaking cross-service contributions by agents.
↳Cryptographically verifying autonomous agent task execution and settlement.
05

Best For

context-mode logocontext-mode
Most PopularTrending
agent-memory logoagent-memory
—
FAQ

FAQ

What is the difference between context-mode and agent-memory?
Both context-mode and agent-memory are in the Memory & Context category. context-mode has 31.8k stars, while agent-memory has 15 stars.
Which is better, context-mode or agent-memory?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose context-mode if Deep repository research and analysis (e.g., architecture, contributors, issues), and agent-memory if Bootstrapping an AI agent's project memory from an existing codebase..
Is context-mode free or open source?
Yes, context-mode is open source on GitHub (Elastic License 2.0).
Is agent-memory free or open source?
Yes, agent-memory is open source on GitHub (Apache-2.0).
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Related

Alternatives to context-mode →Alternatives to agent-memory →context-mode details →agent-memory details →context-mode vs headroom →Trail-Code vs context-mode →