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lean-memory MCP Server

local only

lean-memory runs on your own machine — the client starts it, so there is no endpoint to ping. 128 installs a week from pypi. Last commit 7 Aug 2026.

Embedded, local-first agent memory: one SQLite file per namespace, no server, no cloud.

Installs per day peak 102 · avg 41 · -51% w/w
a month agotoday
128
Installs / week
pypi · lean-memory
42
Stars
2 open issues
7 Aug 2026
Last commit
0 releases in 90 days
Apache-2.0
License
Python

What the code does

We read the source, 20 h ago · rules 3dff92dd89df

Capabilities

What this server is able to do. For an MCP server this is often the job itself — a terminal server runs commands because that is what it is for. Listed so you know what you are plugging in, not as an accusation.

Is this your server and something here is wrong? Tell us — corrections are free and do not require a plan.

This code can reach further than it looks

We found places where it runs commands, builds paths or queries from values it is given. None of that is a flaw by itself — it becomes one when the code changes, and code changes quietly between releases. We re-read it on every one.

Three servers free · no card

Connect this server

This server runs on your own machine — install it with the package manager and the client starts it for you. Package name taken from the official registry entry.

run in your terminal
claude mcp add lean-memory -- uvx lean-memory
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lean-memory": {
      "args": [
        "lean-memory"
      ],
      "command": "uvx"
    }
  }
}
~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.lean-memory]
command = "uvx"
args = ["lean-memory"]
.cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lean-memory": {
      "args": [
        "lean-memory"
      ],
      "command": "uvx"
    }
  }
}
.vscode/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lean-memory": {
      "args": [
        "lean-memory"
      ],
      "command": "uvx"
    }
  }
}

This one needs environment variables set before it will start: LM_DATA_ROOT (Directory for per-namespace SQLite memory files. Defaults to ~/.lean_memory when unset.). The author declared them in the registry entry; get the values from the project itself.

Alternatives to lean-memory

same job, measured the same way
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Local memory for AI agents. One SQLite file on your machine — no cloud, no account.

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Local-first memory for AI coding agents. Memory + CodeGraph + Wiki in one SQLite file.

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Memkeeper
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Local-first memory for AI agents: on-device hybrid retrieval over a single SQLite file.

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Tether
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Local-first agent memory over SQLite: remember, recall, link, forget. Degrades, never fails.

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lean-memory — questions

Answers built from our own checks of this server.

Why is there no uptime for lean-memory?
lean-memory runs on your own machine over stdio — there is no network address to reach, so uptime cannot be measured for it by anyone. What can be measured is adoption: the pypi package lean-memory was installed 128 times last week.
How do I connect lean-memory?
Copy the ready config from this page — we generate it for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor and VS Code, each with the file path that client actually reads. It runs locally, so the command pulls lean-memory straight from pypi; nothing to host, nothing to sign up for.
How many people use lean-memory?
The pypi package lean-memory was installed 128 times in the last week. Week over week that is -51%. We show installs rather than GitHub stars on purpose: a star is a bookmark, an install is someone actually running it.
Is lean-memory open source?
Yes — it is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, written in Python, 42 stars on GitHub and 2 open issues. The source link is on this page, so you can read exactly what it does with your data before you connect it.