llm-router vs OpenMemory MCP

A side-by-side comparison of two AI, Data & Knowledge servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	llm-router Local-first LLM router for AI coding tools — routes prompts to the cheapest capable model with automatic provider fallback. Unverified stdio (local) No auth Python	OpenMemory MCP Mem0's local-first memory layer: a Dockerized MCP server plus dashboard that keeps agent memories on your machine. Unverified SSE (remote) API key Python
Category	AI, Data & Knowledge	AI, Data & Knowledge
Language	Python	Python
Transport	stdio (local)	SSE (remote)
Auth	None	API key
GitHub stars	33	60k
Last commit	1 month ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`pip install llm-routing && llm-router install`	`curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mem0ai/mem0/main/openmemory/run.sh \| OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key bash`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick llm-router if you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine, and you want zero-setup with no API key.

Pick OpenMemory MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Add llm-router

Install / run

pip install llm-routing && llm-router install

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "llm-router": {
      "command": "llm-router",
      "args": [
        "install"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add OpenMemory MCP

Install / run

curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mem0ai/mem0/main/openmemory/run.sh | OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key bash

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openmemory-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://localhost:8765/mcp/<client-name>/sse/<user-id>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop connects to remote servers through the `mcp-remote` proxy (installed on first run via npx). Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

FAQ

llm-router or OpenMemory MCP — which is better?

Pick llm-router if you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine, and you want zero-setup with no API key. Pick OpenMemory MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Can I use both llm-router and OpenMemory MCP?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do llm-router and OpenMemory MCP work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View llm-router →View OpenMemory MCP →More comparisons →