---
title: "Platform vs Open Source"
description: "Compare Mem0 Platform and Open Source to choose the right solution for managed hosting or self-hosted deployment."
icon: "code-compare"
---

## Which Mem0 is right for you?

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

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card
    title="Mem0 Platform"
    icon="cloud"
    href="/platform/quickstart"
  >
    **Managed, hassle-free**

    Get started in 5 minutes with our hosted solution. Perfect for fast iteration and production apps.
  </Card>

  <Card
    title="Open Source"
    icon="code-branch"
    href="/open-source/python-quickstart"
  >
    **Self-hosted, full control**

    Deploy on your infrastructure. Choose your vector DB, LLM, and configure everything.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

---

## Feature Comparison

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Setup & Getting Started" icon="rocket">
    | 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 |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Core Memory Features" icon="brain">
    | Feature | Platform | Open Source |
    |---------|----------|-------------|
    | **User & agent memories** | ✅ | ✅ |
    | **Smart deduplication** | ✅ | ✅ |
    | **Semantic search** | ✅ | ✅ |
    | **Memory updates** | ✅ | ✅ |
    | **Multi-language SDKs** | Python, JavaScript | Python, JavaScript |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Advanced Capabilities" icon="sparkles">
    | Feature | Platform | Open Source |
    |---------|----------|-------------|
    | **Multimodal support** | ✅ | ✅ |
    | **Custom categories** | ✅ | Limited |
    | **Advanced retrieval** | ✅ | ✅ |
    | **Criteria retrieval** | ✅ | ❌ |
    | **Temporal reasoning** | ✅ (v3) | ❌ |
    | **Memory decay** | ✅ (v3) | ❌ |
    | **Graph memory** | ✅ Built-in | ✅ External graph store |
    | **Memory filters v2** | ✅ | ⚠️ (via metadata) |
    | **Webhooks** | ✅ | ❌ |
    | **Memory export** | ✅ | ❌ |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Infrastructure & Scaling" icon="server">
    | 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 |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Pricing & Cost" icon="dollar-sign">
    | 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 |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Development & Integration" icon="code">
    | 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 |
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

---

## 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.

---

## Still not sure?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card
    title="Try Platform Free"
    icon="rocket"
    href="https://app.mem0.ai/login?utm_source=oss&utm_medium=platform-vs-oss"
  >
    Sign up and test the Platform with our free tier. No credit card required.
  </Card>

  <Card
    title="Explore Open Source"
    icon="github"
    href="https://github.com/mem0ai/mem0"
  >
    Clone the repo and run locally to see how it works. Star us while you're there!
  </Card>
</CardGroup>