rekal

Name: rekal Review
Item: rekal
Rating: 3.0
Author: Aaron Matthews

Skill Data & Analytics Usable

Works inClaude Code

Usable Scanned — metadata only

Gives LLMs long-term memory backed by hybrid search in a portable SQLite file, so agents remember and retrieve relevant context reliably.

MCP server that gives AI coding agents long-term memory across sessions, stored locally in a single SQLite file (~/.rekal/memory.db). Retrieval blends BM25 keyword search, 384-dimension vector embeddings, and recency decay, all computed locally with no cloud, daemon, or API keys. Works with Claude Code, Codex CLI, and OpenCode; the companion Claude Code plugin adds hooks that steer the agent to store and recall memories.

Store durable preferences and decisions in one session and have Claude recall them in later sessions
Search project memory by meaning, keywords, and recency when resuming work
Share one local memory store across Claude Code, Codex CLI, and OpenCode

52 starsMIT (commercial OK)FreeQuick setup

Usable rating — This tool is functional but has notable gaps. Review the evaluation notes below before deploying.

Why it matters

Gives LLMs long-term memory backed by hybrid search in a portable SQLite file, so agents remember and retrieve relevant context reliably. Simple to deploy and move, with no external database required.

Best for

Developers building agents that need durable, searchable memory without the overhead of managing a separate database service.

Works in

Claude Code Claude Cowork Claude Chat

Source

https://github.com/janbjorge/rekal

By janbjorge

How to Get It

Option 1: Claude Desktop App (Code Mode)Click the + button next to the prompt box → Plugins → Add plugin. Search and click Install. Skills work in Claude Code only.

Option 2: Paste into Claude CodeCopy the command below and paste it into your conversation. Claude will install it.

Command

uv tool install rekal && claude mcp add --scope user rekal -- rekal && claude plugin marketplace add janbjorge/rekal && claude plugin install rekal-skills@rekal

Tip: Paste this into a Claude Code conversation. Verify command matches your Claude Code version.

First thing to try

After installing, paste this into Claude:

Help me store durable preferences and decisions in one session and have Claude recall them in later sessions

PrerequisitesPython 3.11+; uv or pip to installCostFree

Trust Signals Auto-scanned

Stars52Contributors1Last updated2026-08-02LicenseMIT (OK for commercial use)Known CVEsNone foundSources: GitHub Advisory Database + OSV.dev · Scanned 2026-08-12 · scanner vattempted-no-data

Community Pulse Emerging

Discussed on Hacker News

Show HN: Rekal – Long-term memory for LLMs in a single SQLite file — Hacker News · 9 pts

1 mentions across 1 sources

Reviewer notes

Auto-scanned review. These are observations, not a security certification.

catalog_hygiene stale-eval refresh: Scored from trust signals (evidence-eval-v1): 52 GitHub stars; 1 contributors; last commit 16d ago; license MIT.

Things to check

Requires disabling Claude Code's built-in auto memory (add "autoMemoryEnabled": false to ~/.claude/settings.json) or the two systems compete; the plugin's hooks only partially mitigate this. Early-stage project with limited community feedback so far.
Single maintainer. Consider the risk if this person stops maintaining the project.

How to evaluate tools before deploying →

Data shown here comes from public APIs and automated scanning. Reviewer notes reflect one person's experience. This is not a security certification or legal recommendation. Always evaluate tools according to your own organization's policies.

Evaluation Scores

Evaluation

Ease of Use

3/5

Versatility

3/5

Reliability

3/5

Security

3/5

Overall score3.00 / 5.00 UsableEvaluatedAug 2026

catalog_hygiene stale-eval refresh: Scored from trust signals (evidence-eval-v1): 52 GitHub stars; 1 contributors; last commit 16d ago; license MIT.

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