Memory (Reference) vs Provena Agent Memory
Memory (Reference) is an MCP server published by modelcontextprotocol. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). Provena Agent Memory is an MCP server published by admiralpunk. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-12. 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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:db0c2db07a44 Forks (GitHub): 11 778 Pulls (Docker Hub): 553 917 Stars (Docker Hub): 26 Stars (GitHub): 91 146 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Official MCP Registry | Not listed | Listed Version: 0.1.15 Forks (GitHub): 6 Stars (GitHub): 6 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) | Provena Agent Memory |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 91 146 (better) | 6 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 553 917 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 11 778 (better) | 6 (worse) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/memory) | On your machine (provena-agent-memory) |
| Transport | stdio | stdio |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 9 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | Not published | 3, secrets among them: 1 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers | github.com/admiralpunk/provena |
| Changes in the last 7 days | 0 | 0 |
| First seen | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-11 |
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.
Provena Agent Memory
Self-hosted MCP memory for AI agents: persistent context with evidence-backed claims.
How to run each
Memory (Reference) As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --transport stdio memory -- docker run -i --rm mcp/memoryProvena Agent Memory As a local MCP server: PyPI package
claude mcp add --env "PROVENA_API_KEY=<YOUR_PROVENA_API_KEY>" --env "PROVENA_SCOPE_ID=<YOUR_PROVENA_SCOPE_ID>" --transport stdio provena-memory -- uvx provena-agent-memoryRequires: PROVENA_API_KEY (secret), PROVENA_SCOPE_ID
Commands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of Provena Agent Memory publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of Memory (Reference) publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: Memory (Reference) · What it can do: Provena Agent Memory · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Docker MCP Catalog (desktop.docker.com/mcp/catalog) and Docker Hub. Data comes from the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.