An MCP server providing semantic memory and persistent storage capabilities for Claude Desktop using ChromaDB and sentence transformers. This service enables long-term memory storage with semantic search capabilities, making it ideal for maintaining context across conversations and instances.

- Talk to the Repo with TalkToGitHub!
- Use Gitprobe to digg deeper: GitProbe!
- Semantic search using sentence transformers
- Natural language time-based recall (e.g., "last week", "yesterday morning")
- Enhanced tag deletion system with flexible multi-tag support
- Tag-based memory retrieval system
- Dual storage backends: ChromaDB (full-featured) and SQLite-vec (lightweight, fast)
- Automatic database backups
- Memory optimization tools
- Exact match retrieval
- Debug mode for similarity analysis
- Database health monitoring
- Duplicate detection and cleanup
- Customizable embedding model
- Cross-platform compatibility (Apple Silicon, Intel, Windows, Linux)
- Hardware-aware optimizations for different environments
- Graceful fallbacks for limited hardware resources
- π Multi-client coordination for Claude Desktop + Claude Code concurrent access
- π Intelligent coordination modes with automatic WAL/HTTP detection
- β PyTorch Optional: Now works without PyTorch for basic functionality when using SQLite-vec backend
- β Improved SQLite-vec: Robust error handling and validation for the lightweight backend
- β Intelligent Health Checks: Backend-specific health monitoring with detailed diagnostics
- β Comprehensive Testing: Added test scripts for all critical functions
- β
API Consistency: Enhanced
delete_by_tag
to support both single and multiple tags - β
New Delete Methods: Added
delete_by_tags
(OR logic) anddelete_by_all_tags
(AND logic) - β Backward Compatibility: All existing code continues to work unchanged
- β Dashboard Integration: Enhanced UI with multiple tag selection capabilities
The new unified installer automatically detects your hardware and selects the optimal configuration:
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/doobidoo/mcp-memory-service.git
cd mcp-memory-service
# Create and activate a virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
# Run the intelligent installer
python install.py
# β¨ NEW: Multi-client setup is now integrated!
# You'll be prompted to configure universal MCP client access
# for Claude Desktop, VS Code, Continue, and other MCP applications
For Intel Macs: For detailed setup instructions specific to Intel Macs, see our Intel Mac Setup Guide. Intel Mac users should also check out our Legacy Intel Mac Scripts for specialized startup scripts.
For Legacy Hardware (2013-2017 Intel Macs):
python install.py --legacy-hardware
For Server/Headless Deployment:
python install.py --server-mode
For HTTP/SSE API Development:
python install.py --enable-http-api
For Migration from ChromaDB:
python install.py --migrate-from-chromadb
For Multi-Client Setup:
# Automatic multi-client setup during installation
python install.py --setup-multi-client
# Skip the interactive multi-client prompt
python install.py --skip-multi-client-prompt
- Hardware Detection: CPU, GPU, memory, and platform analysis
- Intelligent Backend Selection: ChromaDB vs SQLite-vec based on your hardware
- Platform Optimization: macOS Intel fixes, Windows CUDA setup, Linux variations
- Dependency Management: Compatible PyTorch and ML library versions
- Auto-Configuration: Claude Desktop config and environment variables
- Migration Support: Seamless ChromaDB to SQLite-vec migration
MCP Memory Service supports two optimized storage backends:
Best for: 2015 MacBook Pro, older Intel Macs, low-memory systems, Docker deployments
- β 10x faster startup (2-3 seconds vs 15-30 seconds)
- β Single file database (easy backup/sharing)
- β Minimal memory usage (~150MB vs ~600MB)
- β No external dependencies
- β HTTP/SSE API support
Best for: Modern Macs (M1/M2/M3), GPU-enabled systems, production deployments
- β Advanced vector search with multiple metrics
- β Rich metadata support and complex queries
- β Battle-tested scalability
- β Extensive ecosystem integration
The installer automatically recommends the best backend for your hardware, but you can override with:
python install.py --storage-backend sqlite_vec # Lightweight
python install.py --storage-backend chromadb # Full-featured
The easiest way to run the Memory Service is using our pre-built Docker images:
# Pull the latest image
docker pull doobidoo/mcp-memory-service:latest
# Run with default settings (for MCP clients like Claude Desktop)
docker run -d -p 8000:8000 \
-v $(pwd)/data/chroma_db:/app/chroma_db \
-v $(pwd)/data/backups:/app/backups \
doobidoo/mcp-memory-service:latest
# Run in standalone mode (for testing/development)
docker run -d -p 8000:8000 \
-e MCP_STANDALONE_MODE=1 \
-v $(pwd)/data/chroma_db:/app/chroma_db \
-v $(pwd)/data/backups:/app/backups \
doobidoo/mcp-memory-service:latest
We provide multiple Docker Compose configurations for different scenarios:
docker-compose.yml
- Standard configuration for MCP clients (Claude Desktop)docker-compose.standalone.yml
- Standalone mode for testing/development (prevents boot loops)docker-compose.uv.yml
- Alternative configuration using UV package managerdocker-compose.pythonpath.yml
- Configuration with explicit PYTHONPATH settings
# Using Docker Compose (recommended)
docker-compose up
# Standalone mode (prevents boot loops)
docker-compose -f docker-compose.standalone.yml up
If you need to build the Docker image yourself:
# Build the image
docker build -t mcp-memory-service .
# Run the container
docker run -p 8000:8000 \
-v $(pwd)/data/chroma_db:/app/chroma_db \
-v $(pwd)/data/backups:/app/backups \
mcp-memory-service
You can install and run the Memory Service using uvx for isolated execution:
# Install uv (which includes uvx) if not already installed
pip install uv
# Or use the installer script:
# curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
# Install and run the memory service
uvx mcp-memory-service
# Or install from GitHub
uvx --from git+https://github.com/doobidoo/mcp-memory-service.git mcp-memory-service
Windows users may encounter PyTorch installation issues due to platform-specific wheel availability. Use our Windows-specific installation script:
# After activating your virtual environment
python scripts/install_windows.py
This script handles:
- Detecting CUDA availability and version
- Installing the appropriate PyTorch version from the correct index URL
- Installing other dependencies without conflicting with PyTorch
- Verifying the installation
To install Memory Service for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:
npx -y @smithery/cli install @doobidoo/mcp-memory-service --client claude
For comprehensive installation instructions and troubleshooting, see the Installation Guide.
Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json
file:
{
"memory": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"--directory",
"your_mcp_memory_service_directory", // e.g., "C:\\REPOSITORIES\\mcp-memory-service"
"run",
"memory"
],
"env": {
"MCP_MEMORY_CHROMA_PATH": "your_chroma_db_path", // e.g., "C:\\Users\\John.Doe\\AppData\\Local\\mcp-memory\\chroma_db"
"MCP_MEMORY_BACKUPS_PATH": "your_backups_path" // e.g., "C:\\Users\\John.Doe\\AppData\\Local\\mcp-memory\\backups"
}
}
}
For Windows users, we recommend using the wrapper script to ensure PyTorch is properly installed:
{
"memory": {
"command": "python",
"args": [
"C:\\path\\to\\mcp-memory-service\\memory_wrapper.py"
],
"env": {
"MCP_MEMORY_CHROMA_PATH": "C:\\Users\\YourUsername\\AppData\\Local\\mcp-memory\\chroma_db",
"MCP_MEMORY_BACKUPS_PATH": "C:\\Users\\YourUsername\\AppData\\Local\\mcp-memory\\backups"
}
}
}
For a lighter-weight configuration that doesn't require PyTorch:
{
"memory": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["-m", "mcp_memory_service.server"],
"cwd": "/path/to/mcp-memory-service",
"env": {
"MCP_MEMORY_STORAGE_BACKEND": "sqlite_vec",
"MCP_MEMORY_SQLITE_PATH": "/path/to/mcp-memory/sqlite_vec.db",
"MCP_MEMORY_BACKUPS_PATH": "/path/to/mcp-memory/backups",
"MCP_MEMORY_USE_ONNX": "1",
"PYTHONPATH": "/path/to/mcp-memory-service"
}
}
}
The wrapper script will:
- Check if PyTorch is installed and properly configured
- Install PyTorch with the correct index URL if needed
- Run the memory server with the appropriate configuration
NEW: Deploy MCP Memory Service for multiple clients sharing the same memory database!
Perfect for distributed teams, multiple devices, or cloud deployment:
# Install and start HTTP/SSE server
python install.py --server-mode --enable-http-api
export MCP_HTTP_HOST=0.0.0.0 # Allow external connections
export MCP_API_KEY="your-secure-key" # Optional authentication
python scripts/run_http_server.py
β Benefits:
- π Real-time sync across all clients via Server-Sent Events (SSE)
- π Cross-platform - works from any device with HTTP access
- π Secure with optional API key authentication
- π Scalable - handles many concurrent clients
- βοΈ Cloud-ready - deploy on AWS, DigitalOcean, Docker, etc.
Access via:
- API Docs:
http://your-server:8000/api/docs
- Web Dashboard:
http://your-server:8000/
- REST API: All MCP operations available via HTTP
Direct SQLite on cloud storage DOES NOT WORK for multi-client access:
β File locking conflicts - Cloud sync breaks SQLite's locking mechanism
β Data corruption - Incomplete syncs can corrupt the database
β Sync conflicts - Multiple clients create "conflicted copy" files
β Performance issues - Full database re-upload on every change
β Solution: Use centralized HTTP server deployment instead!
For detailed deployment guides, configuration options, and troubleshooting:
π Multi-Client Deployment Guide
Covers:
- Centralized HTTP/SSE Server setup and configuration
- Shared File Access for local networks (limited scenarios)
- Cloud Platform Deployment (AWS, DigitalOcean, Docker)
- Security & Authentication setup
- Performance Tuning for high-load environments
- Troubleshooting common multi-client issues
For detailed instructions on how to interact with the memory service in Claude Desktop:
- Invocation Guide - Learn the specific keywords and phrases that trigger memory operations in Claude
- Installation Guide - Detailed setup instructions
- Demo Session Walkthrough - Real-world development session showcasing advanced features
The memory service is invoked through natural language commands in your conversations with Claude. For example:
- To store: "Please remember that my project deadline is May 15th."
- To retrieve: "Do you remember what I told you about my project deadline?"
- To delete: "Please forget what I told you about my address."
See the Invocation Guide for a complete list of commands and detailed usage examples.
The MCP Memory Service supports multiple storage backends to suit different use cases:
- Best for: Large memory collections (>100K entries), high-performance requirements
- Features: Advanced vector indexing, excellent query performance, rich ecosystem
- Memory usage: Higher (~200MB for 1K memories)
- Setup: Automatically configured, no additional dependencies
- Best for: Smaller collections (<100K entries), resource-constrained environments
- Features: Single-file database, 75% lower memory usage, better portability
- Memory usage: Lower (~50MB for 1K memories)
- Setup: Requires
sqlite-vec
package
# Install sqlite-vec (if using installation script, this is handled automatically)
pip install sqlite-vec
# Configure the backend
export MCP_MEMORY_STORAGE_BACKEND=sqlite_vec
export MCP_MEMORY_SQLITE_PATH=/path/to/sqlite_vec.db
# Optional: For CPU-only mode without PyTorch (much lighter resource usage)
export MCP_MEMORY_USE_ONNX=1
# Restart Claude Desktop
The SQLite-vec backend now works with or without PyTorch installed:
- With PyTorch: Full functionality including embedding generation
- Without PyTorch: Basic functionality using pre-computed embeddings and ONNX runtime
- With Homebrew PyTorch: Integration with macOS Homebrew PyTorch installation
To install optional machine learning dependencies:
# Add ML dependencies for embedding generation
pip install 'mcp-memory-service[ml]'
For macOS users who prefer to use Homebrew's PyTorch installation:
# Install PyTorch via Homebrew
brew install pytorch
# Run MCP Memory Service with Homebrew PyTorch integration
./run_with_homebrew.sh
This integration offers several benefits:
- Uses Homebrew's isolated Python environment for PyTorch
- Avoids dependency conflicts with Claude Desktop
- Reduces memory usage in the main process
- Provides better stability in resource-constrained environments
For detailed documentation on the Homebrew PyTorch integration:
- HOMEBREW_INTEGRATION_LESSONS.md - Technical journey and solution architecture
- TECHNICAL_PATTERNS.md - Code patterns and implementation details
- TROUBLESHOOTING_GUIDE.md - Diagnostic commands and common solutions
# Migrate from ChromaDB to SQLite-vec
python migrate_to_sqlite_vec.py
# Full migration with backup
python scripts/migrate_storage.py \
--from chroma --to sqlite_vec \
--backup --backup-path backup.json
For detailed SQLite-vec setup, migration, and troubleshooting, see the SQLite-vec Backend Guide.
The memory service provides the following operations through the MCP server:
store_memory
- Store new information with optional tagsretrieve_memory
- Perform semantic search for relevant memoriesrecall_memory
- Retrieve memories using natural language time expressionssearch_by_tag
- Find memories using specific tagsexact_match_retrieve
- Find memories with exact content matchdebug_retrieve
- Retrieve memories with similarity scores
create_backup
- Create database backupget_stats
- Get memory statisticsoptimize_db
- Optimize database performancecheck_database_health
- Get database health metricscheck_embedding_model
- Verify model status
delete_memory
- Delete specific memory by hashdelete_by_tag
- Enhanced: Delete memories with specific tag(s) - supports both single tags and multiple tagsdelete_by_tags
- New: Explicitly delete memories containing any of the specified tags (OR logic)delete_by_all_tags
- New: Delete memories containing all specified tags (AND logic)cleanup_duplicates
- Remove duplicate entries
Issue 5 Resolution: Enhanced tag deletion functionality for consistent API design.
- Before:
search_by_tag
accepted arrays,delete_by_tag
only accepted single strings - After: Both operations now support flexible tag handling
// Single tag deletion (backward compatible)
delete_by_tag("temporary")
// Multiple tag deletion (new!)
delete_by_tag(["temporary", "outdated", "test"]) // OR logic
// Explicit methods for clarity
delete_by_tags(["tag1", "tag2"]) // OR logic
delete_by_all_tags(["urgent", "important"]) // AND logic
// Store memories with tags
store_memory("Project deadline is May 15th", {tags: ["work", "deadlines", "important"]})
store_memory("Grocery list: milk, eggs, bread", {tags: ["personal", "shopping"]})
store_memory("Meeting notes from sprint planning", {tags: ["work", "meetings", "important"]})
// Search by multiple tags (existing functionality)
search_by_tag(["work", "important"]) // Returns memories with either tag
// Enhanced deletion options (new!)
delete_by_tag("temporary") // Delete single tag (backward compatible)
delete_by_tag(["temporary", "outdated"]) // Delete memories with any of these tags
delete_by_tags(["personal", "shopping"]) // Explicit multi-tag deletion
delete_by_all_tags(["work", "important"]) // Delete only memories with BOTH tags
Configure through environment variables:
CHROMA_DB_PATH: Path to ChromaDB storage
BACKUP_PATH: Path for backups
AUTO_BACKUP_INTERVAL: Backup interval in hours (default: 24)
MAX_MEMORIES_BEFORE_OPTIMIZE: Threshold for auto-optimization (default: 10000)
SIMILARITY_THRESHOLD: Default similarity threshold (default: 0.7)
MAX_RESULTS_PER_QUERY: Maximum results per query (default: 10)
BACKUP_RETENTION_DAYS: Number of days to keep backups (default: 7)
LOG_LEVEL: Logging level (default: INFO)
# Hardware and backend configuration
MCP_MEMORY_STORAGE_BACKEND: Storage backend to use (chromadb or sqlite_vec)
MCP_MEMORY_SQLITE_PATH: Path to SQLite-vec database file
PYTORCH_ENABLE_MPS_FALLBACK: Enable MPS fallback for Apple Silicon (default: 1)
MCP_MEMORY_USE_ONNX: Use ONNX Runtime for CPU-only deployments (default: 0)
MCP_MEMORY_USE_DIRECTML: Use DirectML for Windows acceleration (default: 0)
MCP_MEMORY_MODEL_NAME: Override the default embedding model
MCP_MEMORY_BATCH_SIZE: Override the default batch size
Platform | Architecture | Accelerator | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
macOS | Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) | MPS | β Fully supported | Best performance |
macOS | Apple Silicon under Rosetta 2 | CPU | β Supported with fallbacks | Good performance |
macOS | Intel | CPU | β Fully supported | Good with optimized settings |
Windows | x86_64 | CUDA | β Fully supported | Best performance |
Windows | x86_64 | DirectML | β Supported | Good performance |
Windows | x86_64 | CPU | β Supported with fallbacks | Slower but works |
Linux | x86_64 | CUDA | β Fully supported | Best performance |
Linux | x86_64 | ROCm | β Supported | Good performance |
Linux | x86_64 | CPU | β Supported with fallbacks | Slower but works |
Linux | ARM64 | CPU | β Supported with fallbacks | Slower but works |
Any | Any | No PyTorch | β Supported with SQLite-vec | Limited functionality, very lightweight |
# Install test dependencies
pip install pytest pytest-asyncio
# Run all tests
pytest tests/
# Run specific test categories
pytest tests/test_memory_ops.py
pytest tests/test_semantic_search.py
pytest tests/test_database.py
# Verify environment compatibility
python scripts/verify_environment_enhanced.py
# Verify PyTorch installation on Windows
python scripts/verify_pytorch_windows.py
# Perform comprehensive installation verification
python scripts/test_installation.py
Yes! The MCP Memory Service now features universal multi-client coordination that enables seamless concurrent access from any MCP-compatible applications. Share memories between Claude Desktop, Claude Code, VS Code, Continue, Cursor, and other MCP clients with automatic coordination.
π Integrated Setup (Recommended):
# During installation, you'll be prompted:
python install.py
# Would you like to configure multi-client access? (y/N): y
# β
Automatically detects and configures all your MCP clients!
π§ Manual Setup:
python examples/setup/setup_multi_client_complete.py
π Universal Compatibility:
- β Claude Desktop + Claude Code: Original use case with automatic config
- β VS Code with MCP Extension: Seamless integration instructions
- β Continue IDE: Automatic configuration file updates
- β Cursor IDE: MCP extension support with guidance
- β Any MCP Client: Generic configuration for future applications
Key Benefits:
- β Automatic Coordination: Intelligent detection of optimal access mode
- β Universal Setup: Works with any MCP-compatible application
- β Shared Memory: All clients access the same memory database
- β No Lock Conflicts: WAL mode prevents database locking issues
- β IDE-Agnostic: Switch between development tools while maintaining context
Multi-Client Features:
- Phase 1: WAL Mode - Direct SQLite access with Write-Ahead Logging (default)
- Phase 2: HTTP Coordination - Advanced server-based coordination (optional)
- Automatic Retry Logic - Handles transient lock conflicts gracefully
- Performance Optimized - Tuned for concurrent access patterns
Technical Implementation:
- SQLite WAL Mode: Multiple readers + single writer coordination
- HTTP Auto-Detection: Intelligent server coordination when beneficial
- Connection Retry: Exponential backoff for robust access
- Shared Database: Single source of truth across all clients
Setup Guides:
- π Quick Start: Integrated into
python install.py
with automatic detection - π Universal Setup: Universal Multi-Client Setup Guide
- π§ Manual Setup: Multi-Client Setup Guide
- βοΈ Legacy Setup:
python examples/setup/setup_multi_client_complete.py
See the Installation Guide and Troubleshooting Guide for detailed troubleshooting steps.
- Windows PyTorch errors: Use
python scripts/install_windows.py
- macOS Intel dependency conflicts: Use
python install.py --force-compatible-deps
- Recursion errors: Run
python scripts/fix_sitecustomize.py
- Environment verification: Run
python scripts/verify_environment_enhanced.py
- Memory issues: Set
MCP_MEMORY_BATCH_SIZE=4
and try a smaller model - Apple Silicon: Ensure Python 3.10+ built for ARM64, set
PYTORCH_ENABLE_MPS_FALLBACK=1
- Installation testing: Run
python scripts/test_installation.py
- Master Installation Guide - Complete installation guide with hardware-specific paths
- Installation Command Line Reference β NEW - Comprehensive CLI options including multi-client setup
- Universal Multi-Client Setup β NEW - Integrated setup for any MCP application
- Storage Backend Comparison - Detailed comparison and selection guide
- Migration Guide - ChromaDB to SQLite-vec migration instructions
- Intel Mac Setup Guide - Comprehensive guide for Intel Mac users
- Legacy Mac Guide - Optimized for 2015 MacBook Pro and older Intel Macs
- Windows Setup - Windows-specific installation and troubleshooting
- Ubuntu Setup - Linux server installation guide
- HTTP/SSE API - New web interface documentation
- Claude Desktop Integration - Configuration examples
- Integrations - Third-party tools and extensions
- Multi-Client Architecture β NEW - Technical implementation details
- Homebrew PyTorch Integration - Using system PyTorch
- Docker Deployment - Container-based deployment
- Performance Optimization - Tuning for different hardware
- General Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
- Hardware Compatibility - Compatibility matrix and known issues
# Get personalized setup recommendations
python install.py --help-detailed
# Generate hardware-specific setup guide
python install.py --generate-docs
# Test your installation
python scripts/test_memory_simple.py
mcp-memory-service/
βββ src/mcp_memory_service/ # Core package code
β βββ __init__.py
β βββ config.py # Configuration utilities
β βββ models/ # Data models
β βββ storage/ # Storage implementations
β βββ utils/ # Utility functions
β βββ server.py # Main MCP server
βββ scripts/ # Helper scripts
βββ memory_wrapper.py # Windows wrapper script
βββ install.py # Enhanced installation script
βββ tests/ # Test suite
- Python 3.10+ with type hints
- Use dataclasses for models
- Triple-quoted docstrings for modules and functions
- Async/await pattern for all I/O operations
- Follow PEP 8 style guidelines
- Include tests for new features
MIT License - See LICENSE file for details
- ChromaDB team for the vector database
- Sentence Transformers project for embedding models
- MCP project for the protocol specification
- Deployed on Glama.ai
- Managing 300+ enterprise memories
- Processing queries in <1 second
- 319+ memories actively managed
- 828ms average query response time
- 100% cache hit ratio performance
- 20MB efficient vector storage
- Complete MCP protocol implementation
- Cross-platform compatibility
- React dashboard with real-time statistics
- Comprehensive documentation
- Semantic search with sentence-transformers
- Tag-based categorization system
- Automatic backup and optimization
- Health monitoring dashboard
The MCP Memory Service can be extended with various tools and utilities. See Integrations for a list of available options, including:
- MCP Memory Dashboard - Web UI for browsing and managing memories
- Claude Memory Context - Inject memory context into Claude project instructions