Updated April 2026
Letta (formerly MemGPT) is an open-source framework for building stateful AI agents with self-managed memory. Its tiered memory system — core memory, archival memory, and recall memory — is inspired by operating system virtual memory paging. The agent itself decides what to remember and what to forget. Alma takes a different approach: a production SaaS with a full web interface, structured memory that the user controls, and integrated creative tools.
| Feature | Letta (MemGPT) | Alma |
|---|---|---|
| Target user | Developers building AI agents | End users + developers |
| Memory model | Tiered: core + archival + recall (agent-managed) | 3-layer: memories + episodes + procedures (user-controlled) |
| Web app / Chat | No production UI — CLI and API | Yes — full chat with streaming, tools, file attachments |
| AI identity | Agent persona via system prompt | Soul Engine (12 structured blocks, versioned, XML-rendered) |
| Memory control | Agent decides — less predictable | User controls: full CRUD, categories, importance, search |
| Creative tools | None | Video Studio, Music Studio, Image Studio, Code workspace |
| Open source | Yes (Apache 2.0) | No (SaaS) |
| Pricing | Free (self-hosted) / Letta Cloud (paid) | Free tier / Pro from $19/mo |
If you want persistent AI memory without managing infrastructure, Alma is ready immediately with a full web app, structured memory you control, and integrated creative tools. No Docker, no deployment, no maintenance.
If you are building custom AI agents and want open-source flexibility with agent-managed memory, Letta gives you full control over the memory architecture with self-hosting capability.