What to compare
ChatGPT and Claude each have a memory of their own, and they don't share it. A memory app sits outside both and connects to each one, usually through MCP, the standard way AI apps plug into tools. Tell one app something and the others can find it later.
We looked at five apps that do this, and we make one of them, so read this with that in mind. Every fact about the others comes from their own website, linked below, as we found it on 13 October 2026. Four questions sort them out quickly:
- Where are your memories kept? On the company's servers, or on your computer.
- Which AI apps does it reach? Some cover ChatGPT in a web browser and on your phone, others only apps on your computer.
- How much setup? A normal installer, a sign-in, or commands typed into a terminal.
- What does it cost after any free part ends?
The apps side by side
| App | Where memories are kept | Price | Made for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zaaheen | Your computer, encrypted. Our servers never receive them | 30 days free, no card, then $5 a month or $48 a year | Everyday users of several AI apps |
| MemoryPlugin | Their service; the site says "Encrypted in transit and at rest" | Core $89 a year, Pro $180 a year, 7-day trial | Everyday users, many AI websites |
| Hjarni | "EU-hosted (Hetzner)", "Encrypted in transit & at rest" | Free up to 25 notes, Pro $12 a month | Everyday users and teams |
| Basic Memory | Local: Markdown files on your computer. Cloud: their service | Local free, Cloud from $15 a month | People who like notes they can read and edit |
| Supermemory | Their service by default; a free local version, set up with a terminal command, keeps it on your computer | Free with $5 of credits a month, Pro $19 a month | Mostly developers building with AI memory |
| Mem0 | Its MCP server: your Mem0 account, "not on your computer". Developers can also run Mem0 themselves | Free Hobby plan, Starter $19 a month | Developers building AI apps |
Prices and details are as of 13 October 2026, from each company's own website, and may change. Check the links below for the latest prices.
Each app in brief
MemoryPlugin
MemoryPlugin works with a long list of AI apps, "21+ AI tools" in its own words, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Cursor and Claude Code. Your memories are kept by its service; its site says they are encrypted in transit and at rest and doesn't say where they're stored. Core is $89 a year after a 7-day trial (MemoryPlugin's site). Its reach into AI websites is wider than ours.
Hjarni
Hjarni is listed in the ChatGPT and Claude app directories and works with Cursor, Claude Code and other MCP apps. It says it is hosted in the EU on Hetzner, encrypted in transit and at rest. It has a free plan for up to 25 notes, then Pro is $12 a month, with two months free on yearly billing (Hjarni's site). If you want to try a shared memory for nothing, that free plan is a fair place to start.
Basic Memory
Basic Memory writes what your AI apps learn as plain Markdown notes, which you can open and edit yourself, in Obsidian for example. The local version is free and open source, and its site says "Your files never leave your computer"; you install it by following its quickstart. A Cloud version starts at $15 a month after a 7-day trial and needs no install (Basic Memory's site, its docs). If you want to read your memory as notes, this is built for that.
Supermemory
Supermemory is a memory service with plugins for Claude Code and Cursor. You add its server, mcp.supermemory.ai, to your app and sign in, with no key to copy (its setup page). The free plan includes $5 of credits a month, and Pro is $19 a month (Supermemory's pricing). It is open source, and a free local version, started with a terminal command, keeps your memory in a folder on your computer (its GitHub page). Most of its plans are written for developers building with AI memory.
Mem0
Mem0 is memory for developers to build into their own AI apps, with a free Hobby plan and Starter at $19 a month (Mem0's pricing). Its MCP server also connects Claude, Cursor and Codex directly, and its docs are clear that the memories "live in your Mem0 account, not on your computer" (Mem0's docs). For a developer building an app, it is a strong choice.
Zaaheen
Zaaheen is ours: an app for Windows and Mac that keeps one memory for your AI apps, encrypted on your own computer, where our servers never receive it. It connects to Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, the ChatGPT app for your computer, Codex and other MCP apps, and installs like any other program.
What a year costs
For one person on the first paid plan of each app made for everyday users, paying for a year:
| Option | US dollars a year |
|---|---|
| Zaaheen | 48 yearly plan |
| MemoryPlugin Core | 89 yearly plan |
| Hjarni Pro | 120 yearly billing |
| Basic Memory Cloud | 180 12 months |
Source: Each company's own website, prices as of 13 October 2026 and may change. Supermemory and Mem0 are left out because their plans are priced for developers. Hjarni and Basic Memory also have free options, described above.
Price isn't the whole story. A free plan that covers what you need beats any paid one, and Hjarni's free notes and Basic Memory's free local version are real options.
Where Zaaheen falls short
A fair comparison has to say this part too:
- It runs on Windows and on Macs with Apple chips. There is no Linux or phone version.
- ChatGPT connects through the ChatGPT app for your computer. ChatGPT in a web browser or on your phone can't reach it. MemoryPlugin covers both, and Hjarni is listed in ChatGPT's own app directory.
- Your memory lives on one computer. There is no sync between computers yet.
- After the 30-day trial there is no free plan.
- Some apps also need one line added to their instructions so they check the shared memory by themselves.
Which to choose
If you want your memories to stay on your own computer, and you use ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor as apps on Windows or a Mac, that is what we built Zaaheen for. If you mostly use AI in a web browser or on your phone, MemoryPlugin or Hjarni will reach more of the places you use it. If you want notes you can read and edit by hand, try Basic Memory. And if you're a developer building memory into your own product, look at Mem0 and Supermemory.
MemoryPlugin, Hjarni, Basic Memory, Supermemory and Mem0 are names of their owners. We have no link with any of them. Facts checked on 13 October 2026; if anything here is wrong or out of date, tell us at customerservice@zaaheen.com and we'll correct it.