Cognee vs Zep
A side-by-side comparison of Cognee and Zep, two Memory tools, drawn from Ignaite's continuously-verified listings.
Compared from listings verified as of
At a glance
| Attribute | Cognee | Zep |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Memory | Memory |
| Pricing | FREEMIUM | FREEMIUM |
| License (differs) | Open core | Proprietary |
| Deployment (differs) | Hybrid | Cloud |
| Platforms | API | API |
| Model support (differs) | BYO key / model | Multi-model |
| Vendor (differs) | Cognee | Zep |
| Capabilities (differs) |
|
|
The honest brief
Cognee
Builds an LLM-derived knowledge graph alongside embeddings, so recall follows relationships, not just vector similarity.
- Self-hostable Python SDK
- Recall follows concept relationships
- Bring your own LLM/embedding provider
- Newer, smaller ecosystem
- Cognify pipeline adds LLM cost
- Self-host setup overhead
Zep
Stores a temporal knowledge graph (via OSS Graphiti) that versions how facts change over time, not flat snapshots.
- Open-source Graphiti engine (Apache-2.0)
- Managed Zep Cloud option
- Pulls in chat + business data
- Long-term context for agents
- Graph approach has learning curve
- Cloud is credit-based pricing
- Heavier than simple vector memory
- Newer ecosystem
When to pick which
Across the signals we compare, Cognee and Zep differ on license, deployment, and model support:
- License
- Open core · Proprietary
- Deployment
- Hybrid · Cloud
- Model support
- BYO key / model · Multi-model
Their capability lists differ in recorded depth — compare the full lists above before deciding.