OpenMemory MCP vs Zen MCP Server (now PAL)

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

	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	Zen MCP Server (now PAL) The renamed zen-mcp-server: routes Claude Code, Codex or Cursor to Gemini, GPT, Grok and local models in one context. Unverified stdio (local) API key Python
Category	AI, Data & Knowledge	AI, Data & Knowledge
Language	Python	Python
Transport	SSE (remote)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	API key
GitHub stars	60k	12k
Last commit	1 day ago	6 months ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mem0ai/mem0/main/openmemory/run.sh \| OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key bash`	`git clone https://github.com/BeehiveInnovations/pal-mcp-server.git && cd pal-mcp-server && ./run-server.sh`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

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

Pick Zen MCP Server (now PAL) if you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine, and you need the broadest set of tools.

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.

Add Zen MCP Server (now PAL)

Install / run

git clone https://github.com/BeehiveInnovations/pal-mcp-server.git && cd pal-mcp-server && ./run-server.sh

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zen-mcp-server-now-pal": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "git+https://github.com/BeehiveInnovations/pal-mcp-server.git",
        "pal-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": "<your-gemini-key>",
        "DEFAULT_MODEL": "auto",
        "DISABLED_TOOLS": "analyze,refactor,testgen,secaudit,docgen,tracer"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

FAQ

OpenMemory MCP or Zen MCP Server (now PAL) — which is better?

Pick OpenMemory MCP if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option. Pick Zen MCP Server (now PAL) if you want a local (stdio) server that keeps data on your machine, and you need the broadest set of tools.

Can I use both OpenMemory MCP and Zen MCP Server (now PAL)?

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 OpenMemory MCP and Zen MCP Server (now PAL) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View OpenMemory MCP →View Zen MCP Server (now PAL) →More comparisons →