codebase-memory-mcp vs ripwire
Code intelligence MCP in pure C: tree-sitter knowledge graph over 158 languages, average repo indexed in milliseconds, sub-ms queries, 10x fewer tokens. Single static binary, zero deps. — versus — Red Hat's 'ripgrep of AI context': a zero-dependency C++23 CLI + MCP that hands a coding agent a ranked call graph — what to touch, blast radius, tests to run — with no index server.
Both are dependency-free native (C vs C++23) code-graph servers for agents that index in milliseconds; codebase-memory-mcp is MCP-first, ripwire is CLI-first with MCP optional.
| codebase-memory-mcp | ripwire | |
|---|---|---|
| Stars | 43k | 1.9k |
| Forks | 3.5k | 111 |
| Language | C | C++ |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Last activity | yesterday | yesterday |
| Topics | code-intel, local | code-intel, coding |
| Curated connections | 9 | 7 |
codebase-memory-mcp — the curator's take
The performance ceiling of the code-context-server category: pure C, single static binary, the Linux kernel indexed in 3 minutes, structural queries under a millisecond — with a peer-reviewed preprint (83% answer quality, 10x fewer tokens across 31 repos) instead of vibes. Hybrid LSP adds real type resolution for the 12 languages that matter most, and 43 client surfaces means it plugs into whatever agent you run. NOT semantic search — it answers structural questions (call chains, routes, blast radius), not 'where's the code that does X'; pair it with an embedding tool for that. And note its own disclosure: it writes to your agent config files by design — audit posture is unusually good (SLSA 3, OpenSSF, per-release VirusTotal), use it.
ripwire — the curator's take
Reach for this when you want code-context for an agent with the operational profile of ripgrep: one static binary, indexes a repo in well under a second on a few MB, no daemon, no embeddings, no API key — and it ships skills that tell Claude Code/Codex/Cursor/aider *when* to call it. The `--for="<change>"` mode (rank by intended change, then blast radius + tests-to-run + McCabe/Halstead quality deltas) is the differentiator over plain symbol graphs. Prefer the CLI; the MCP schema costs context every session. Not for you if you need a persistent, queryable graph across repos, natural-language-to-Cypher, or semantic search — it is deterministic and lexical/structural only.