Threadline vs Zep
Zep is powerful. Threadline is simpler, faster, and free to start.
Zep requires self-hosting or an enterprise contract. Threadline is live in 2 lines of code.
| Feature | Threadline | Zep |
|---|---|---|
| Retrieval latency | ~38ms* | ~300ms p95 |
| Free tier | 10K/mo | None |
| Native MCP support | ||
| Setup | npm install | Self-host / enterprise |
| User-owned context | ||
| OAuth-style grants |
* inject() is a direct lookup, not vector search. Intelligence happens at update() time.
Key differentiators
- No free tier on Zep. Threadline: 10K memories/month free.
- Zep P95 latency ~300ms. Threadline: ~38ms*.
- Threadline has native MCP support. Zep does not.
- Zep is complex to self-host. Threadline: npm install.
Try Threadline free
10,000 memories/month. No credit card required.