What Zep is
Zep is a context engineering and agent memory platform built on Graphiti, an open-source temporal knowledge graph framework. Its documentation describes building a graph of entities and facts with validity periods from chat and business data.
What Auld is
Auld is a memory service. Your systems send time-stamped records; Auld extracts memories, reconciles changes into current state with history, and returns cited memories scoped to the viewer, over REST or MCP.
Differences in design
| Dimension | Zep | Auld |
|---|---|---|
| Data model | Temporal knowledge graph (entities, edges, episodes) | Records → memories with validity intervals; entities and relationships |
| Time | Fact validity tracked on graph edges | Validity intervals; asOf recall |
| Open source | Graphiti framework is open source | Not open source |
| Scoping | Users, sessions, groups (see docs) | Identities, audiences, per-record visibility |
| Deployment | Cloud service; Graphiti self-hosted | Managed, or own cloud under Enterprise |
How to choose
Choose Zep when
- You want to work directly with a graph and query it yourself.
- You want an open-source temporal graph framework (Graphiti).
Choose Auld when
- You want a recall API that returns cited, scoped context without managing a graph schema.
- Per-record visibility across teams or customers is central.
Evaluate and verify
Trade-offs depend on your data. Run the same test set against each option — the methodology page has a checklist — and confirm current capabilities in the official documentation.
Sources: Zep website · Graphiti on GitHub