---
title: "Overview"
icon: "code-branch"
iconType: "solid"
description: "Self-host Mem0 with full control over your infrastructure and data"
---

# Mem0 Open Source Overview

Mem0 Open Source delivers the same adaptive memory engine as the platform, but packaged for teams that need to run everything on their own infrastructure. You own the stack, the data, and the customizations.

<Tip>
  Mem0 v1.0.0 brought rerankers, async-by-default clients, and Azure OpenAI support. See the <Link href="/changelog">release notes</Link> for the full rundown before upgrading.
</Tip>

## What Mem0 OSS provides

- **Full control**: Tune every component, from LLMs to vector stores, inside your environment.
- **Offline ready**: Keep memory on your own network when compliance or privacy demands it.
- **Extendable codebase**: Fork the repo, add providers, and ship custom automations.

<Info>
  Begin with the <Link href="/open-source/python-quickstart">Python quickstart</Link> (or the Node.js variant) to clone the repo, configure dependencies, and validate memory reads/writes locally.
</Info>

## Choose your path

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Python Quickstart" icon="python" href="/open-source/python-quickstart">
    Bootstrap the CLI, run dockerized dependencies, and verify the add/search loop.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Node.js Quickstart" icon="node" href="/open-source/node-quickstart">
    Install the TypeScript SDK, wire environment variables, and run the starter script.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Configure Components" icon="sliders" href="/open-source/configuration">
    Choose your LLM, embedder, vector store, and reranker with YAML or code.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Graph Memory Capability" icon="network-wired" href="/open-source/features/graph-memory">
    Add relationship-aware recall across providers like Neo4j, Memgraph, or Kùzu.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Tune Retrieval & Rerankers" icon="sparkles" href="/open-source/features/reranker-search">
    Optimize search quality with hybrid retrieval and reranker depth controls.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Deploy with Docker Compose" icon="server" href="/examples/mem0-with-ollama">
    Follow the reference deployment to persist memories and expose REST endpoints.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Use the REST API" icon="code" href="/open-source/features/rest-api">
    Call the REST endpoints for async add/search flows and project automation.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  Need a managed alternative? Compare hosting models in the <Link href="/platform/platform-vs-oss">Platform vs OSS guide</Link> or switch tabs to the Platform documentation.
</Tip>

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What you get with Mem0 OSS" icon="code-branch">

    | Benefit | What you get |
    | --- | --- |
    | Full infrastructure control | Host on your own servers with complete access to configuration and deployment. |
    | Complete customization | Modify the implementation, extend functionality, and tailor it to your stack. |
    | Local development | Perfect for development, testing, and offline environments. |
    | No vendor lock-in | Keep ownership of your data, providers, and pipelines. |
    | Community driven | Contribute improvements and tap into a growing ecosystem. |
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Default components

<Note>
  Mem0 OSS works out of the box with sensible defaults:
  - LLM: OpenAI `gpt-4.1-nano-2025-04-14` (via `OPENAI_API_KEY`)
  - Embeddings: OpenAI `text-embedding-3-small`
  - Vector store: Local Qdrant instance storing data at `/tmp/qdrant`
  - History store: SQLite database at `~/.mem0/history.db`
  - Reranker: Disabled until you configure a provider

  Override any component with <Link href="/open-source/configuration">`Memory.from_config`</Link>.
</Note>

## Keep going

{/* DEBUG: verify CTA targets */}

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card
    title="Review Platform vs OSS"
    description="Confirm whether managed infrastructure or self-hosting better suits your workload."
    icon="arrows-left-right"
    href="/platform/platform-vs-oss"
  />
  <Card
    title="Run the Python Quickstart"
    description="Clone the repo, install dependencies, and persist your first local memory."
    icon="terminal"
    href="/open-source/python-quickstart"
  />
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  Need a managed alternative? Compare hosting models in the <Link href="/platform/platform-vs-oss">Platform vs OSS guide</Link> or switch tabs to the Platform documentation.
</Tip>