Heartwood vs Mem0 — provable, governed agent memory
TL;DR
Mem0 is a widely used drop-in memory layer with managed and self-hosted options and integrations for 20+ partner frameworks. Heartwood is the younger, governance-first option: it stores each memory as an Ed25519-signed record, gates recall by policy before ranking, and emits a per-subject key-destruction proof on erasure — all re-executable from a source-available core. Choose Mem0 for fast, integration-rich recall; choose Heartwood when you must prove governance per record.
At-a-glance table
| Axis | Heartwood Memory | Mem0 |
|---|---|---|
| Governance granularity | Per individual memory record | Org/project membership + entity IDs (user/agent/app/session); not documented as per-record policy |
| Provenance signing | Per-record Ed25519, fail-closed read | Not evaluated in public docs (full change history documented) |
| Tamper-evident audit | Hash-chained audit log | Not evaluated in public docs (live audit log documented) |
| Policy-before-ranking | Yes | Not evaluated in public docs |
| Erasure / RTBF | Crypto-shred + key-destruction proof | Record/batch/entity-filtered/project deletion (no cryptographic proof) |
| Tenant isolation | Yes | Yes — Mem0 Platform isolates by org/project membership |
| Interface | Python library + governed MCP server | Python/TS SDKs, REST API, MCP, self-hosted server |
| Deployment | Self-hosted, embedded | Managed Platform or Apache-2.0 self-hosted library/REST |
| License | Source-available (BSL 1.1); 0.1.x MIT | Apache-2.0 (OSS repo); managed Platform terms separate |
| Pricing | Free / Team $349·mo / Pro $6,000·yr (early access) | Hobby Free / Starter $19·mo / Growth $79·mo / Pro $249·mo / Enterprise custom |
| Best-for | Record-level, re-executable proof | Drop-in memory + broad integrations |
“Not evaluated in public docs” = not found in Mem0's current primary documentation as of 2026-07-15; it is not a claim the feature is absent. Vendor pricing reverified immediately before publish.
Comparison by dimension
Governance
Both isolate tenants. Mem0 scopes access by organization/project membership and entity identifiers; Heartwood binds policy to each memory record and enforces it before ranking. If your controls need to travel with individual memories, that's the difference.
Provable erasure
Mem0 documents record, batch, entity-filtered, and project deletion — real deletion, but not a cryptographic proof. Heartwood's forget(hard) crypto-shreds the per-subject key and records a key-destruction proof (scoped honestly: proof of key destruction, not instant physical deletion).
Deployment & license
Both self-host; Mem0's OSS repo is Apache-2.0, Heartwood's core is source-available under BSL 1.1 (0.1.x MIT). Mem0's managed Platform ships today; Heartwood's hosted tiers are early access.
Who Mem0 is best for
Teams wanting a drop-in, integration-rich memory layer, managed or self-hosted, without a record-level proof requirement.
Who Heartwood is best for
Regulated/compliance-driven teams that need per-record provenance, policy-gated recall, and a re-executable deletion proof.
Can Heartwood run underneath Mem0?
Heartwood implements a shape-compatible memory-provider lifecycle (an example contract, not an official integration) and can sit underneath as the governed store behind the same memory calls.
See the governed-memory modelFAQ
Is Heartwood a drop-in Mem0 replacement?
Not a drop-in — it's a governed layer with a shape-compatible provider contract, so integration differs. If governance, audit, and provable erasure are requirements, that difference is the point.
Is Mem0 open source?
Mem0's open-source repository is Apache-2.0; its managed Platform has separate terms.