compare · memory, search, notes, and platform defaults

compare 3ngram against the tools that remember, search, or store context.

compared: mem0 · claude native memory · CLAUDE.md · enterprise search · notes

at a glance · eight capabilities · five approaches
capability 3ngram mem0 claude memory CLAUDE.md a notebook
shared work state decisions · commitments · blockers typed, status-aware memory records preferences + facts repo notes manual notes
cross-tool continuity Claude + ChatGPT + Cursor + Codex same context travels via SDK integration provider-local repo-local you carry it
source-backed answers memory + docs + issues + repos citations where sources exist app-dependent chat-local file-local manual lookup
commitments with lifecycle deadlines + status stale and overdue surfaced no, unless you build it no no manual tracking
briefings and nudges top commitments + blockers where attention is needed no, unless you build it no no self-review
provider neutrality MCP across tools keep the tool that fits inside your app one provider Claude-focused outside AI
foundation-model training not used details on /security vendor-dependent provider terms local file yes
effort to maintain debrief once no prompt-file gardening developer work automatic, opaque manual edits manual writing
deeper dives · one page per tool, honest verdict first

Every tool below gets one page: where 3ngram wins, where it doesn't, and when the other tool is the right call. The dividing line is whether you need shared work context across AI sessions and follow-through on decisions, commitments, and blockers. For migration guides, see replaces; for role-specific workflows, see use cases.

the honest take · where each tool actually wins

mem0

if you are a developer building an agent and you want a drop-in memory SDK for your product, use Mem0. that is what it is for. 3ngram is end-user software for people whose work already happens across Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Codex, and source systems. different shape, different buyer.

claude native memory

claude memory is great for "remember my stack" and "call me Olivia". it is not built to keep work state portable across providers, source systems, and open loops. better native memory validates the category; 3ngram handles the shared context around it.

CLAUDE.md

if you are a solo dev with one repo, CLAUDE.md is fine. if you have three clients, eight projects, and you move between Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, and Codex, it stops scaling. 3ngram keeps decisions, patterns, blockers, and commitments in a shared work state instead of asking you to maintain prompt files by hand.

a notebook

a good bullet journal is extremely hard to beat for private, analog work. if your commitments and decisions do not touch AI sessions or source systems, a notebook may be the right answer. 3ngram's value appears when the work leaks across tools and the next AI session needs the thread.