OpenClaw MCP Server vs Memory (Knowledge Graph)

A side-by-side comparison of two AI, Data & Knowledge servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	OpenClaw MCP Server Secure bridge between Claude.ai/Desktop and a self-hosted OpenClaw AI assistant, with OAuth2 and multi-instance routing. Unverified stdio (local) OAuth TypeScript	Memory (Knowledge Graph) Official MCP server providing persistent, file-backed knowledge-graph memory across sessions. Verified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript
Category	AI, Data & Knowledge	AI, Data & Knowledge
Language	TypeScript	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	OAuth	None
GitHub stars	173	74k
Last commit	24 days ago	5 months ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx openclaw-mcp`	`npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-memory`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick OpenClaw MCP Server if you prefer its approach (secure bridge between claude.ai/desktop and a self-hosted openclaw ai assistant, with oauth2 and multi-instance routing).

Pick Memory (Knowledge Graph) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Add OpenClaw MCP Server

Install / run

npx openclaw-mcp

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openclaw-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "openclaw-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OPENCLAW_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:18789",
        "OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN": "your-gateway-token",
        "OPENCLAW_MODEL": "openclaw",
        "OPENCLAW_TIMEOUT_MS": "300000"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add Memory (Knowledge Graph)

Install / run

npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-memory

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "memory-knowledge-graph": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-memory"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MEMORY_FILE_PATH": "/absolute/path/to/memory.jsonl"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

OpenClaw MCP Server or Memory (Knowledge Graph) — which is better?

Pick OpenClaw MCP Server if you prefer its approach (secure bridge between claude.ai/desktop and a self-hosted openclaw ai assistant, with oauth2 and multi-instance routing). Pick Memory (Knowledge Graph) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Can I use both OpenClaw MCP Server and Memory (Knowledge Graph)?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do OpenClaw MCP Server and Memory (Knowledge Graph) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View OpenClaw MCP Server →View Memory (Knowledge Graph) →More comparisons →