head to head · open source
Mem0 vs LightRAG
Mem0 has 68,288 GitHub stars, 8,104 forks, 742 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. LightRAG has 40,487 stars, 5,752 forks, 222 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. Mem0 leads on adoption by 69% (68,288 vs 40,487 stars). Mem0 is written in Python under Apache-2.0; LightRAG is written in Python under MIT. Mem0 has attracted 12% as many forks as stars, LightRAG 14%. Mem0 was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (genai, llm), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Mem0 | LightRAG | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 68K | ★ 40K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-30 | 2026-10-29 |
| Forks | ⑂ 8.1K | ⑂ 5.8K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Mem0 if
- You weight community size — 68K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick LightRAG if
- You want the LightRAG feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and LightRAG fits your workflow better
About Mem0
Learn more · Join Discord · Demo 📄 Benchmarking Mem0's token efficient memory algorithm → New Memory Algorithm (April 2026) All benchmarks run on the same production representative model stack. Single pass retrieval (one call, no agentic loops) at a top 200 retrieval budget. Scores reflect Mem0's managed platform, which includes proprietary optimizations not available in the open source SDK; open source users should expect directionally similar gains but not identical numbers. What changed: Single pass ADD only extraction one LLM call, no UPDATE/DELETE. Memories accumulate; nothing is overwritten. Agent…
About LightRAG
🚀 LightRAG: Simple and Fast Retrieval Augmented Generation 🎉 News [2026.07]🎯[New Feature]: Add Smart Heading recognition feature for word documents. [2026.05]🎯[New Feature]: Merge RagAnything into LightRAG 🎉. Multimodal content parsing and extraction via MinerU / Docling services. [2026.05]🎯[New Feature]: Introducing four selectable text chunking strategies: Fix , Recursive , Vector , and Paragraph . [2026.05]🎯[New Feature]: Role specific LLM configuration support, 4 distinct roles: EXTRACT, QUERY, KEYWORDS, and VLM, with independent LLM settings. [2026.03]🎯[New Feature]: Integrated OpenSearch as a…
read the full LightRAG overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Mem0 or LightRAG more popular?
Mem0 has 68,288 GitHub stars and LightRAG has 40,487. Mem0 has the larger community by that measure.
Are Mem0 and LightRAG free?
Both are open source. Mem0 is licensed under Apache-2.0 and LightRAG under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Mem0 and LightRAG?
Mem0 is written in Python and LightRAG in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Mem0 or LightRAG?
Choose Mem0 if you want the larger community (68,288 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose LightRAG if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.