recall vs Poolside AI
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings
At a glance
| Dimension | recall | Poolside AI |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free (open-source, MIT) | Contact sales (enterprise pricing) |
| Target User | Solo developers, small teams, privacy-conscious coders | Large enterprises in regulated industries |
| Deployment | Local, fully offline, no data leaves machine | On-prem, VPC, air-gapped, multi-cloud |
| Core Feature | Persistent memory for Claude Code via extractive summarization (TF-IDF + TextRank) | Custom foundation models (Laguna XS.2 & M.1) with 256K context, multi-agent orchestration |
| Integrations | Claude Code only | IDE extensions, TUI, binaries, data connectors to repos, databases, warehouses |
| Latest News Relevance | Show HN launch Jun 2026; focused on local memory | Laguna models now at 256K context lengths (May 2026), platform launch May 2026 |
These tools serve fundamentally different needs. Recall is a free, lightweight plugin that gives Claude Code persistent local memory—perfect for solo devs who want to avoid re-explaining context. Poolside AI is a heavyweight enterprise platform with custom foundation models and multi-agent orchestration for complex software engineering in regulated environments. Choose Recall if you're a Claude Code user on a budget; choose Poolside if you're a large enterprise needing secure, long-horizon AI agents.
Feature-by-feature
Recall and Poolside AI are almost opposites in scope. Recall is a single-purpose plugin for Claude Code that provides persistent project memory via extractive summarization (TF-IDF + TextRank) without any AI cost or network calls. It is open-source (MIT), requires no API key, and works entirely offline. Its only integration is with Claude Code, and it is designed to reduce token waste by summarizing previous sessions. Poolside AI, on the other hand, offers a full enterprise platform with custom foundation models (Laguna XS.2 and M.1) now serving at 256K context lengths (as of May 2026). It features multi-agent orchestration with planning and tool use, sandboxed agent execution, and multiple developer surfaces (agents, TUI, IDE extensions, binaries). It also provides data connectors to repositories, databases, and data warehouses, plus role-based access control and executive governance. Poolside can be deployed on-prem, in VPC, or even on workstations for defense. While Recall is trivial to install and use, Poolside requires significant vendor engagement and infrastructure. In summary, Recall solves a small but painful problem for Claude Code users, while Poolside aims to be a comprehensive AI platform for enterprise software engineering.
Pricing compared
Recall is completely free: open-source under MIT, no API keys or external services required. The only cost is the user's existing Claude Code subscription (if any). Installation is straightforward via GitHub clone or pip. Poolside AI uses a contact-sales enterprise pricing model. There are no public tiers; costs depend on deployment size, custom models, and support. Enterprises also pay for Forward Deployed Research Engineers embedded with teams. For a solo developer or small team, Recall is an obvious choice given zero additional cost. For a large organization with compliance needs, Poolside's pricing is likely a substantial multi-year investment but justifies itself with governance, auditability, and on-prem security. The latest news emphasizes Poolside's platform launch (May 2026) and extended context lengths, reinforcing its enterprise focus. In contrast, Recall's recent Show HN (June 2026) highlights its grassroots, community-driven approach.
Who should pick which
- Solo developer using Claude Code locallyPick: recall
Recall provides persistent memory across sessions for free, zero setup beyond pip install, and works fully offline—perfect for a solo dev wanting to avoid re-explaining project context.
- Enterprise team in finance needing secure AI agentsPick: Poolside AI
Poolside AI offers on-prem deployment, custom foundation models, and auditability required for regulated industries. Its multi-agent orchestration handles long-horizon tasks.
- Privacy-conscious developer on a closed-source projectPick: recall
Recall's 100% offline design ensures no data leaves the machine, aligning with strict data privacy requirements.
- Large engineering org needing long-context planningPick: Poolside AI
Poolside's Laguna models now offer 256K context lengths, enabling complex multi-step planning across large codebases.
- Hobbyist or indie maker on a tight budgetPick: recall
Free and open-source with no ongoing costs, Recall fits any budget and improves Claude Code efficiency without extra spend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Recall with AI assistants other than Claude Code?
No, Recall is specifically built as a plugin for Claude Code and only integrates with that tool.
Does Poolside AI require an internet connection?
Not necessarily. Poolside AI can be deployed on-prem or in a VPC, including air-gapped networks, so it can operate fully offline if needed.
How does Recall summarize conversations without an LLM?
Recall uses classic extractive summarization algorithms: TF-IDF and TextRank. This avoids any AI API costs and keeps everything local.
What kind of enterprise support does Poolside AI offer?
Poolside provides Forward Deployed Research Engineers embedded with customer teams for setup, customization, and ongoing support.
Is Recall open-source?
Yes, Recall is released under the MIT license and available on GitHub.
What context length do Poolside's latest models support?
As of May 2026, Laguna XS.2 and M.1 support up to 256K tokens of context.
Can I use Recall on Windows?
Yes, Recall is cross-platform and works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Does Poolside AI integrate with existing code repositories?
Yes, Poolside provides data connectors to repositories, databases, and data warehouses for training and inference.
More recall or Poolside AI comparisons
If you're an individual developer with Claude Code wanting free, offline, privacy-preserving context memory, Recall is the clear choice. If you're an enterprise team needing an autonomous AI engineer
If you're a solo developer using Claude Code and want free, private, offline memory, Recall is a no-brainer. But for engineering teams that need multi-repo context, issue tracker integration, and grou
Explore each tool further
Browse these categories
One email a week — new tools, honest comparisons, no spam.