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Reasonbook vs Selvedge
Short answer: Pick Reasonbook if you want persistent decision logs for AI agents; pick Selvedge if you want persistent decision memory for AI coding agents. Reasonbook is free and open source; Selvedge is free.
ReasonbookDecisions and project context that survive AI coding sessions.
SelvedgeYour coding agent's memory for decisions and dead endsWhich to pick
Pick Reasonbook if you want…
- Persistent decision logs for AI agents
- Integrations with CLI or npm package (on Reasonbook's list, not Selvedge's)
Pick Selvedge if you want…
- Persistent decision memory for AI coding agents
- Agent memory of dead ends
- Integrations with Copilot, Cursor or Gemini CLI (on Selvedge's list, not Reasonbook's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Reasonbook:Reasonbook is an Apache-2.0 MCP server and CLI that records project decisions, reasons, and next steps in a local SQLite database.
- Selvedge:Selvedge keeps project decisions, rejected approaches, and their reasons available to your next AI coding session through MCP and the CLI.
- Best for
- Reasonbook:Persistent decision logs for AI agents
- Selvedge:Persistent decision memory for AI coding agents
- Who it’s for
- Reasonbook:Developers using AI coding agents who need persistent project context.
- Selvedge:Developers using AI coding assistants who need to track and reuse decision context.
- Pricing
- Reasonbook:Open source
- Selvedge:Free
- Starting price
- Reasonbook:Free
- Selvedge:Free
- Free plan or trial
- Reasonbook:Free to use
- Selvedge:Free to use
- Open source
- Reasonbook:Yes, 0 GitHub stars
- Selvedge:Yes, 24 GitHub stars
- Works with
- Reasonbook:Claude Code, Codex, CLI, npm package
- Selvedge:Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Windsurf
Reasonbook features
- SQLite decision ledger. Stores each decision, its reason, and learning in a local SQLite file within the repo.
- Session handoff. Agents retrieve prior decisions automatically at the start of a new session.
- Planning extensions. Planner adds next steps; Builder adds sprints, missions, objectives, and success criteria.
- Local-first operation. Runs without network connection or account; all data stays in the repository.
- Optional dashboard sync. Uploads the SQLite DB to a hosted dashboard for sharing and messaging between projects.
- Claude Code & Codex plugin. One-click installation brings the record into Claude Code and Codex sessions.
Selvedge features
- Local SQLite storage. Decisions are saved in a project-local .selvedge/selvedge.db file without external services.
- Agent-agnostic integration. Connects to Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI and Windsurf through MCP. Setup and lifecycle-hook support vary by client.
- Explicit decision recording. Save what was decided, which approaches were rejected, why, and the conditions for reconsidering them.
- CLI and MCP access. Retrieve stored decisions through a Python CLI or MCP calls in new sessions.
- Zero-account, open source. MIT-licensed, no subscription, and makes no LLM calls itself.
- Project-portable database. Carry the SQLite file to another machine or export a readable decision log.
Reasonbook vs Selvedge FAQ
What is the difference between Reasonbook and Selvedge?+
Selvedge: Focuses on memory for coding agents but does not provide a local SQLite ledger or planning extensions.
Should I use Reasonbook or Selvedge?+
Pick Reasonbook if you want persistent decision logs for AI agents or integrations with CLI or npm package (on Reasonbook's list, not Selvedge's). Pick Selvedge if you want persistent decision memory for AI coding agents, agent memory of dead ends or integrations with Copilot, Cursor or Gemini CLI (on Selvedge's list, not Reasonbook's).
Is Reasonbook or Selvedge free?+
Yes, both are free, and Reasonbook is open source.
Is Reasonbook or Selvedge open source?+
Yes, both are open source: Reasonbook (kneelinghorse/reasonbook on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license) and Selvedge (masondelan/selvedge on GitHub, MIT license).
Do Reasonbook and Selvedge integrate with the same tools?+
Partly. Both list Claude Code and Codex. Reasonbook also lists CLI and npm package; Selvedge also lists Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI and Windsurf.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.