LangMem vs Zep
A side-by-side comparison of LangMem and Zep, two Memory tools, drawn from Ignaite's continuously-verified listings.
Compared from listings verified as of
At a glance
| Attribute | LangMem | Zep |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Memory | Memory |
| Pricing (differs) | FREE | FREEMIUM |
| License (differs) | Open source | Proprietary |
| Deployment (differs) | — | Cloud |
| Platforms (differs) | API, CLI | API |
| Model support (differs) | BYO key / model | Multi-model |
| Vendor (differs) | LangChain | Zep |
| Capabilities (differs) |
|
|
The honest brief
LangMem
Backed by LangChain, its memory tools plug straight into LangGraph rather than running as a standalone store.
- Semantic, episodic, procedural memory
- Storage- and framework-agnostic core API
- Native LangGraph integration
- MIT-licensed and free
- Most value inside the LangChain stack
- Young SDK, evolving API
- You wire up your own storage layer
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
Both cover Agent memory.
Pick LangMem if you need Prompt management.
- Prompt management (secondary capability)
Pick Zep if you need Knowledge graph.
- Knowledge graph (secondary capability)
They also differ on:
- Pricing
- FREE · FREEMIUM
- License
- Open source · Proprietary
- Platforms
- API, CLI · API
- Model support
- BYO key / model · Multi-model