# Hindsight Sets a New Standard: #1 on the BEAM Benchmark

If you're building AI agents that need persistent [memory](/content/what-is-agent-memory/index.html), Mem0 and Zep are two of the most established options in the space — and they represent genuinely different philosophies about how agent memory should work. Mem0 combines a vector store with an optional knowledge graph. Zep builds everything around Graphiti, a temporal knowledge graph engine where time is a first-class dimension.

Both are production-ready. Both have large communities. Neither is universally better. This guide breaks down the architectural trade-offs, retrieval quality, pricing, and self-hosting reality so you can pick the right one for your use case.

## Mem0 vs Zep: Quick Comparison

|  | **Mem0** | **Zep / Graphiti** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **GitHub Stars** | ~48K | ~24K |
| **License** | Apache 2.0 | Graphiti open source; Zep CE deprecated |
| **Backed by** | Y Combinator ($24M Series A) | Zep Inc. |
| **Architecture** | Vector DB + Knowledge Graph (dual-store) | Temporal knowledge graph (Graphiti) |
| **Graph Support** | Pro tier only ($249/mo) | Core to all tiers |
| **Temporal Modeling** | No native temporal model | First-class validity windows on all edges |
| **Benchmark (LongMemEval)** | 49.0% (independent eval) | 63.8% (GPT-4o) |
| **SDKs** | Python, JavaScript | Python, TypeScript, Go |
| **Self-Hosting** | Fully self-hostable (Apache 2.0) | Via raw Graphiti only (manage Neo4j yourself) |
| **Managed Cloud** | Yes | Yes (Zep Cloud) |
| **Compliance** | SOC 2, HIPAA | SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA (cloud) |
| **Free Tier** | 10K memories | 1K credits |
| **Paid Plans** | $19/mo Standard, $249/mo Pro | $25/mo Flex (20K credits), Enterprise custom |

## Agent Memory Architecture: Mem0 vs Zep

### Mem0: Vector + Knowledge Graph

[Mem0](https://mem0.ai/) uses a **dual-store architecture**: a vector database handles semantic search, and a [knowledge graph](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_graph) captures entity relationships. When you add a memory, Mem0 embeds it into the vector store and extracts entities and relationships for the graph layer.

The important caveat: **graph features are gated behind the Pro tier at $249/month**. On the free and $19/month Standard plans, you only get vector-based semantic search. For anything involving connected entities or structured reasoning, you need Pro.

### Zep: Temporal Knowledge Graph (Graphiti)

[Zep](https://www.getzep.com/) takes a graph-first approach. Its engine, Graphiti, builds a temporal knowledge graph where every fact carries explicit time metadata. When your agent records an episode — a conversation, event, or observation — Graphiti decomposes it into entities (nodes), relationships (edges), and temporal attributes.

As the survey paper ["Memory in the Age of AI Agents"](https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.13564) documents, temporal knowledge graphs and dual-store architectures represent two of the primary paradigms emerging in [agent memory systems](/content/articles/best-ai-agent-memory-systems/index.html).

## Retrieval Quality: Mem0 vs Zep Benchmarks

An [independent evaluation](https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.04814) using the LongMemEval benchmark — which tests long-term memory retrieval across temporal, multi-hop, and knowledge-update query types — measured **Mem0 at 49.0%** and **Zep at 63.8%** (using GPT-4o).

Where Mem0 holds its own: **straightforward semantic retrieval**. Where Zep pulls ahead: **queries that require structural reasoning**.

## Temporal Reasoning: Zep's Strongest Advantage

This is Zep's clearest advantage. Every edge in Zep's knowledge graph carries explicit temporal metadata: `valid_from`, `valid_to`, and `invalid_at` markers. This lets Zep answer questions that most [memory systems](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-agent-memory) struggle with:

- "What was the customer's address before they moved?"
- "When did the team switch from Slack to Teams?"

Mem0 has **no native temporal model**. If your use case involves compliance workflows, audit trails, or tracking how entities evolve over time, Zep's temporal depth is hard to replicate with Mem0's architecture.

## Self-Hosting Agent Memory: Mem0 vs Zep

### Mem0: Fully Self-Hostable

Mem0 is Apache 2.0 licensed and fully self-hostable. You can run the entire stack on your own infrastructure.

### Zep: Community Edition Deprecated

Zep's self-hosting story is more complicated. The Zep Community Edition has been **deprecated**. If you want to self-host today, you need to manage a Neo4j (or FalkorDB/Kuzu) instance yourself.

## Agent Memory Pricing: Mem0 vs Zep

### Mem0

| Tier | Price | What You Get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Free** | $0 | 10K memories, semantic search only |
| **Standard** | $19/mo | Higher limits, semantic search only |
| **Pro** | $249/mo | Knowledge graph, priority support, SOC 2/HIPAA |

### Zep

| Tier | Price | What You Get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Free** | $0 | 1K credits |
| **Flex** | $25/mo | 20K credits, full feature access |
| **Enterprise** | Custom | Custom limits, dedicated support, SLAs |

## When to Choose Mem0

Mem0 is the stronger choice when:

- **Personalization is your primary use case.** 
- **Community and ecosystem matter.** 
- **Self-hosting is a hard requirement.** 
- **You need SOC 2/HIPAA on managed cloud.** 
- **Budget allows Pro if you need graph.**

## When to Choose Zep

Zep is the stronger choice when:

- **Temporal reasoning is core to your use case.** 
- **You want full features at a lower price point.** 
- **Managed cloud with compliance works for you.** 
- **Your queries are structurally complex.**

## Worth Considering: Hindsight

If neither Mem0 nor Zep fully fits your requirements, [Hindsight](https://hindsight.vectorize.io/) is worth evaluating. Hindsight scores **94.6% on LongMemEval**, compared to Mem0's 49.0% and Zep's 63.8%.

## Verdict: Mem0 vs Zep for Agent Memory

Mem0 and Zep are both legitimate, production-ready agent memory systems. The choice comes down to what kind of memory your agent needs.

**Choose Mem0** if personalization is your core use case, you value the largest open-source community, and you either don't need graph features or can budget for Pro at $249/month.

**Choose Zep** if temporal reasoning is central to your workload. Both systems have real limitations. Evaluate against your actual query patterns, not just feature lists.