[opensourcedex]

OpenContext is a free, open source documentation & knowledge base project written in JavaScript and released under MIT. It has 1,280 GitHub stars, 84 forks and 8 open issues, and was last pushed 5 months ago. On this registry it ranks #71 of 100 tracked projects in Documentation & Knowledge Base, with 5 head-to-head comparisons available. It gained 33 stars over the last 30 tracked days.

What is OpenContext?

OpenContext is a personal context store for AI agents and assistants that reuses an existing coding agent CLI such as Codex, Claude, or OpenCode, adding built-in Skills and tools plus a desktop GUI to capture, search, and reuse project knowledge across agents and repositories.

What it is

OpenContext is an MIT-licensed JavaScript project that keeps a global contexts/ library of folders, documents, manifests, and search so that an AI assistant can load history first, then act, and ship, then persist. The README describes the project as a lightweight personal context and knowledge store for agents and coding tools, distributed through the @aicontextlab/cli npm package and shipped with an oc CLI, an MCP Server, Skills and slash commands, an agent-ready knowledge layer, a desktop app, and a local Web UI. It lives in the JavaScript and npm ecosystem and sits alongside coding agents rather than inside them, working with the CLI already installed.

The concrete problem it solves is context loss across days, repositories, and chats. Background gets re-explained, decisions get repeated, and the assistant sometimes continues from the wrong assumptions, while most tools stop at storage and never connect to the coding agent in use. OpenContext replaces the manual practice of re-pasting background, decisions, and project knowledge into every new session, and instead makes that material readable and writable by the agent itself through Skills and MCP tools.

Key capabilities

  • oc CLI manages a global contexts/ library of folders and documents, with manifests and search.
  • MCP Server lets Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, and other agents call OpenContext as tools.
  • oc init generates user-level skills for Cursor, Claude Code, and Codex, written to paths such as ~/.cursor/skills/opencontext-*/SKILL.md, ~/.claude/skills/opencontext-*/SKILL.md, and ~/.codex/skills/opencontext-*/SKILL.md.
  • The same setup installs slash commands for Cursor and Claude Code: /opencontext-context, /opencontext-search, /opencontext-create, and /opencontext-iterate.
  • Desktop App provides a native UI for managing, searching, and editing contexts.
  • Web UI browses and edits contexts locally with no installation required.
  • Non-interactive installs accept flags such as --tools cursor,claude,codex and --no-claude, --no-cursor, --no-codex.

Who uses it and how

  • Developers already running Cursor, Claude Code, or Codex who want a global context library that works across all projects rather than per-repository notes.
  • Visual users who prefer a native interface and download the desktop app from the project's Releases page instead of working from a terminal.
  • Power users and automation authors who install the CLI alone and drive contexts programmatically or through scripted setups.
  • Teams and individuals working across multiple repositories or sessions, where a shared global library replaces context that is otherwise hard to move between repos.
  • CI or non-interactive environments, where --tools and --no-* flags configure which agent integrations are written into user config directories.

Getting started

Install the CLI with npm install -g @aicontextlab/cli, then run oc init inside a project to write the skills, slash commands, and user-level MCP configuration for the chosen agents. A desktop build is also available from the GitHub Releases page for users who want the native UI.

How it compares

No paid product list is provided in the facts, and this registry names no comparable context-store tool, so OpenContext stands alone here in its category. It is designed to complement the coding agent CLIs it names rather than replace them: OpenContext reuses Codex, Claude, or OpenCode and adds a GUI plus Skills and tools, so no separate agent subscription is required.

When to use it — and when not to

A self-hoster needs Node and npm for the CLI, and should expect oc init to write skills, slash commands, and MCP configuration into user-level directories including ~/.cursor, ~/.claude, and ~/.codex. Anyone not using one of those agent CLIs, or organisations wanting a hosted multi-user knowledge service, will find little value here, since the README frames the store as personal and the interfaces as local desktop and Web UI. The project is young, with 1,180 stars, 75 forks, and 8 open issues as of the last push in June 2026, and the available README excerpt leaves deployment, storage, and sync details unstated, so evaluate those before depending on it for critical knowledge.

project readme (upstream, from github) — read inline

Give your AI assistant a persistent memory.
Stop repeating yourself. Start building smarter.

Bring your own coding agent. OpenContext reuses your existing CLI (Codex/Claude/OpenCode) and adds a GUI + built-in Skills/tools — no extra agent subscription.

npm version license

🌐 Website · 📖 Usage Guide · ⬇️ Download Desktop

中文文档

The Problem

When you use an AI assistant to build things, context gets lost (across days, repos, chats). You end up re-explaining background, repeating decisions, and sometimes the assistant continues with the wrong assumptions. Most tools stop at storage and don't plug into the coding agent you already use.

The Solution

OpenContext is a lightweight personal context / knowledge store for AI assistants (Agents) and coding tools like Cursor / Claude Code / Codex. It reuses your existing coding agent CLI (Codex/Claude/OpenCode) while adding a GUI plus built-in Skills/tools, so your agent can "load history first, then act; ship, then persist".

Skills-first support: oc init generates user-level skills (Cursor/Claude Code/Codex) plus slash commands (Cursor/Claude Code), so agents can load, search, create, and iterate your context with one command.

Before OpenContext After OpenContext
📂 Hard to share context across repos/sessions ✅ Global context library works across all projects
🤷 Your ideas can't be quickly perceived by Agent ✅ Agent loads your background & decisions automatically
🔒 Existing knowledge can't be operated by Coding Agent ✅ Agent can directly read/write your knowledge base

What's Included

  • oc CLI — manage a global contexts/ library (folders/docs, manifests, search)
  • MCP Server — so Cursor/Claude Code/Codex/Agents can call OpenContext as tools
  • Skills + Slash Commands — user-level skills for Cursor/Claude Code/Codex and slash commands for Cursor/Claude Code (generated by oc init)
  • Agent-ready Knowledge Layer — reuse your existing coding agent CLI (Codex/Claude/OpenCode) with built-in skills/tools and GUI
  • Desktop App — manage/search/edit contexts with a native UI
  • Web UI — browse/edit contexts locally (no install required)

Why OpenContext for Builders

OpenContext's knowledge management Agent can be the coding agent you already use (Codex/Claude/OpenCode). You don't pay for a separate agent — you bring your own CLI and get a ready-to-use experience: a GUI for context management plus built-in Skills and tools that let the agent read, search, create, and iterate on your knowledge.

Quick Start

Install CLI

npm install -g @aicontextlab/cli

Choose Your Path

Path Best For Get Started
🖥️ Desktop App Visual users who want a native UI Download from Releases
⌨️ CLI + Tools Developers using Cursor/Claude Code/Codex/AI agents npm install -g @aicontextlab/cli && oc init
🔧 CLI Only Power users, automation npm install -g @aicontextlab/cli

OpenContext works with the coding agent CLI you already have — it adds a GUI plus built-in Skills/tools instead of replacing your agent.

30-Second Setup (CLI + Cursor/Claude Code/Codex)

# 1. Install
npm install -g @aicontextlab/cli

# 2. Initialize (prompts for tool setup; defaults to all)
cd your-project
oc init

# 3. Use slash commands (Cursor + Claude Code)
#    /opencontext-context  — load background before working
#    /opencontext-search   — find relevant docs
#    /opencontext-create   — create a new doc
#    /opencontext-iterate  — persist what you learned
#    Tip: non-interactive installs can use --tools cursor,claude,codex or --no-claude/--no-cursor/--no-codex
#
#    Installed by oc init:
#    - Cursor: ~/.cursor/commands
#    - Claude Code: ~/.claude/commands (or $CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR/commands)
#    Skills (wrapped from slash commands):
#    - Cursor: ~/.cursor/skills/opencontext-*/SKILL.md
#    - Claude Code: ~/.claude/skills/opencontext-*/SKILL.md (or $CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR/skills)
#    - Codex: ~/.codex/skills/opencontext-*/SKILL.md (or $CODEX_HOME/skills)
#
# 4. MCP config is user-level (Cursor/Claude Code/Codex)
#    - Cursor: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
#    - Claude Code: ~/.claude/mcp.json (or $CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR/mcp.json)
#    - Codex: ~/.codex/mcp.json (or $CODEX_HOME/mcp.json)

📖 For detailed usage guide, search configuration, and FAQ, visit the Website.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is OpenContext?

OpenContext is a lightweight personal context / knowledge store for AI assistants and coding tools like Cursor / Claude Code / Codex. It gives your AI agent a persistent memory so you can stop repeating yourself and start building smarter.

How does OpenContext work with my existing coding agent?

OpenContext reuses your existing coding agent CLI (Codex/Claude/OpenCode) while adding a GUI plus built-in Skills/tools. You don't pay for a separate agent subscription — you bring your own CLI and get a ready-to-use experience.

What are the core components?

Component Function
oc CLI Manage global contexts/ library (folders/docs, manifests, search)
MCP Server Cursor/Claude Code/Codex/Agents call OpenContext as tools
Skills + Slash Commands User-level skills for Cursor/Claude Code/Codex + slash commands for Cursor/Claude Code
Desktop App Manage/search/edit contexts with a native UI
Web UI Browse/edit contexts locally (no install required)

What coding agents are supported?

Agent Config Location
Cursor ~/.cursor/mcp.json
Claude Code ~/.claude/mcp.json
Codex ~/.codex/mcp.json
OpenCode ~/.config/opencode/

What are the key benefits?

Before OpenContext After OpenContext
📂 Hard to share context across repos/sessions ✅ Global context library works across all projects
🤷 Your ideas can't be quickly perceived by Agent ✅ Agent loads your background & decisions automatically
🔒 Existing knowledge can't be operated by Coding Agent ✅ Agent can directly read/write your knowledge base

Is OpenContext free and open source?

Yes! OpenContext is free and open source. Check the repository for license details.

How do I get started?

npm install -g @aicontextlab/cli
oc init

This generates user-level skills and slash commands for your coding agent.

Where can I get help?

CLI Commands (Quick Reference)

Run oc --help for details.

Command What it does
oc init Initialize OpenContext + user-level tool integrations
oc folder ls List folders
oc folder create -d "desc" Create a folder
oc doc create .md -d "desc" Create a document
oc doc ls List documents
oc context manifest Generate file list for AI to read
oc search "query" Search documents
oc mcp Start MCP server for MCP clients
oc ui Start local Web UI

📖 Full command reference available on the Website.

Development

# Clone & install
git clone https://github.com/0xranx/OpenContext.git
cd OpenContext && npm install

# Desktop app
npm run tauri:dev    # development
npm run tauri:build  # production build

# Web UI
npm run ui:dev       # development
npm run ui:build     # production build

License

MIT © OpenContext

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenContext free to use?

OpenContext is open source under the MIT licence. There is no licence fee and no seat count — you can self-host it or, where the project offers one, pay a vendor for a managed version instead.

What does OpenContext do?

A personal context store for AI agents and assistants—reuse your existing coding agent CLI (Codex/Claude/OpenCode) with built‑in Skills/tools and a desktop GUI

What is OpenContext written in?

OpenContext is primarily written in JavaScript. Its source is publicly available at https://github.com/0xranx/OpenContext, and it has 1,280 GitHub stars.