## Which Mem0 is right for you?

Mem0 offers two powerful ways to add memory to your AI applications. Choose based on your priorities:

[**Mem0 Platform**  
**Managed, hassle-free** Get started in 5 minutes with our hosted solution. Perfect for fast iteration and production apps.](https://docs.mem0.ai/platform/quickstart)

[**Open Source**  
**Self-hosted, full control** Deploy on your infrastructure. Choose your vector DB, LLM, and configure everything.](https://docs.mem0.ai/open-source/python-quickstart)

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## Feature Comparison

Setup & Getting Started

| Feature                     | Platform                   | Open Source                      |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------------|
| **Time to first memory**    | 5 minutes                  | 15-30 minutes                    |
| **Infrastructure needed**   | None                       | Vector DB + Python/Node env      |
| **API key setup**           | One environment variable     | Configure LLM + embedder + vector DB |
| **Maintenance**             | Fully managed by Mem0      | Self-managed                     |

Core Memory Features

| Feature                     | Platform                   | Open Source                      |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------------|
| **User & agent memories**    | ✅                         | ✅                              |
| **Smart deduplication**      | ✅                         | ✅                              |
| **Semantic search**          | ✅                         | ✅                              |
| **Memory updates**           | ✅                         | ✅                              |
| **Multi-language SDKs**      | Python, JavaScript         | Python, JavaScript               |

Advanced Capabilities

| Feature                     | Platform                   | Open Source                      |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------------|
| **Multimodal support**       | ✅                         | ✅                              |
| **Custom categories**        | ✅                         | Limited                          |
| **Advanced retrieval**       | ✅                         | ✅                              |
| **Temporal reasoning**       | ✅ (v3)                    | ❌                               |
| **Memory decay**            | ✅ (v3)                    | ❌                               |
| **Graph memory**            | ✅ Built-in                | ✅ External graph store          |
| **Memory filters v2**       | ✅                         | ⚠️ (via metadata)                |
| **Webhooks**                | ✅                         | ❌                               |
| **Memory export**           | ✅                         | ❌                               |

Infrastructure & Scaling

| Feature                     | Platform                   | Open Source                      |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------------|
| **Hosting**                  | Managed by Mem0            | Self-hosted                     |
| **Auto-scaling**            | ✅                         | Manual                           |
| **High availability**        | ✅ Built-in                | DIY setup                        |
| **Vector DB choice**        | Managed                    | 20+ stores: Qdrant, Pinecone, Chroma, Weaviate, Milvus, pgvector |
| **LLM choice**              | Managed (optimized)        | 15+ providers: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Groq, Ollama, Together |
| **Data residency**          | US (expandable)           | Your choice                     |

Pricing & Cost

| Aspect                      | Platform                   | Open Source                      |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------------|
| **License**                 | Usage-based pricing        | Apache 2.0 (free)               |
| **Infrastructure costs**    | Included in pricing        | You pay for VectorDB + LLM + hosting |
| **Support**                 | Included                   | Community + GitHub               |
| **Best for**                | Fast iteration, production apps | Cost-sensitive, custom requirements |

Development & Integration

| Feature                     | Platform                   | Open Source                      |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------------|
| **REST API**                | ✅                         | ✅ (self-hosted server)         |
| **Python SDK**             | ✅                         | ✅                              |
| **JavaScript SDK**          | ✅                         | ✅                              |
| **Framework integrations**   | LangChain, CrewAI, LlamaIndex, and 20+ more | Same                             |
| **Dashboard**               | ✅ Web-based               | ❌                               |
| **Analytics**               | ✅ Built-in                | DIY                              |

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## Decision Guide

**Choose Platform if you want:**

- Fast time to market: get your AI app with memory live in hours, not weeks.
- Production-ready hosting: auto-scaling, high availability, and managed infrastructure.
- Built-in analytics: track memory usage, query patterns, and user engagement through the dashboard.
- Advanced features: webhooks, memory export, custom categories, and priority support.

**Choose Open Source if you need:**

- Full data control: host everything on your infrastructure with complete data residency.
- Custom configuration: choose your own vector DB, LLM provider, embedder, and deployment strategy.
- Extensibility: modify the codebase, add custom features, and contribute back to the community.
- Cost optimization: use local LLMs (Ollama), self-hosted vector DBs, and optimize for your use case.

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