Memory (Reference) vs lean-memory
Memory (Reference) is an MCP server published by modelcontextprotocol. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). lean-memory is a plugin bundle for AI coding tools published by lean-memory. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Community GitHub marketplaces). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-21. This pair was picked by a reader, not by our comparison rule, so search engines are asked not to index the page.
Where each is published
| Marketplace |  Memory (Reference) | |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:db0c2db07a44 Forks (GitHub): 11 830 Pulls (Docker Hub): 560 361 Stars (Docker Hub): 26 Stars (GitHub): 91 419 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Community marketplace wuesteon/lean-memory | Not listed | Listed Version: 0.2.1 Forks (GitHub): 40 Stars (GitHub): 43 Not marked · First seen |
Each figure is the marketplace's own and is never added up across marketplaces. A marketplace that publishes no figure shows none: no number is not zero.
The facts side by side
| Fact | Memory (Reference) | lean-memory |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 91 419 (better) | 43 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 560 361 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 11 830 (better) | 40 (worse) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/memory) | On your machine (lean-memory-console) |
| Transport (differs) | stdio | Not stated |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 9 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for | Not published | Not published |
| Parts of the bundle (differs) | Not a bundle | 6 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | Apache-2.0 |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers | github.com/wuesteon/lean-memory |
| Changes in the last 7 days | 0 | 0 |
| First seen (differs) | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-14 |
Lines where the two differ have a tinted background and bold values. Where the data itself says which value is better (more marketplaces, a larger figure of the same marketplace, a fresher release, a verified mark on a marketplace that lists both), the better one is also marked green with ▲ and the worse one red with ▼. Where it runs, the transport, the tools, the settings, hooks, the bundle's parts, the licence and the week's changes are marked only as different: more or fewer is not better in itself.
What each says it does
Memory (Reference)
Knowledge graph-based persistent memory system.
lean-memory
Observing MCP + read-only console for lean-memory: store and search agent memories from Claude Code, then verify the supersession spine, per-hit score breakdown, and provenance episodes in a local UI.
How to run each
Memory (Reference) As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --transport stdio memory -- docker run -i --rm mcp/memorylean-memory As a Claude Code plugin
/plugin marketplace add wuesteon/lean-memory
/plugin install lean-memory@lean-memory-consoleCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of lean-memory publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
Neither one's marketplaces publish the settings it asks for.
What it can do: Memory (Reference) · What it can do: lean-memory · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Docker MCP Catalog (desktop.docker.com/mcp/catalog) and Docker Hub. Data comes from public marketplace files in GitHub repositories of their authors. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.