pref0 vs Zep

Zep provides long-term memory for AI assistants. pref0 provides preference learning. Both improve personalization, but they approach it differently.

pref0Zep
What it storesStructured preferences with confidence scoresConversation history, summaries, and facts
How it learnsExtracts preferences from correctionsSummarizes and indexes conversations
Confidence over timeYes — preferences compound across sessionsNo — facts are stored without confidence
RetrievalFull preference profile per userSemantic search over memory
InfrastructureHosted API, no setupSelf-hosted or cloud, requires more setup
Best forLearning preferences from correctionsLong-term conversation memory and recall

Key differences

Structured vs. unstructured

pref0 extracts structured key-value preferences with confidence scores. Zep stores unstructured conversation history and generates summaries. pref0's structured format is easier to inject into system prompts.

Learning vs. remembering

pref0 actively learns from corrections and compounds confidence. Zep remembers what was said. The distinction matters: 'use TypeScript' said three times becomes a high-confidence preference in pref0, but just three separate memories in Zep.

Simplicity

pref0 is 2 endpoints. Zep is a full memory platform with conversation management, fact extraction, and semantic search. If you only need preferences, pref0 is significantly simpler.

When to use each

Use pref0 when...

  • You specifically need preference learning, not general memory
  • You want confidence scoring that compounds over time
  • You prefer a minimal API with no infrastructure to manage
  • Your agent is task-oriented (coding, writing, support)
  • Corrections are your primary signal for personalization

Use Zep when...

  • You need full conversation history storage and retrieval
  • You want semantic search over past conversations
  • You need conversation summarization
  • You're building a conversational assistant that needs broad recall

Frequently asked questions

Can I use pref0 and Zep together?

Yes. Use Zep for conversation memory and context retrieval. Use pref0 specifically for preference learning with confidence scoring. They solve different problems.

Does pref0 store conversation history?

No. pref0 processes conversations to extract preferences, then discards the raw conversation data. If you need conversation storage, use Zep alongside pref0.

Which requires less infrastructure?

pref0 is a hosted API with no infrastructure requirements. Zep can be self-hosted or cloud-hosted, with more setup involved.

Other comparisons

Not memory. Preference learning.

Your users are already teaching your agent what they want. pref0 makes sure the lesson sticks.