# Wax — On-Device Memory Layer + MCP Server

> Single-file memory layer for AI agents (Swift) plus an MCP server for local-first RAG. Good for private, on-device workflows on Apple Silicon.

## Install

Copy the content below into your project:

## Quick Use

```bash
npx -y waxmcp@latest mcp install --scope user
claude install-skill https://github.com/christopherkarani/Wax/tree/main/Resources/skills/public/wax
```

## Intro

Wax is a local-first memory layer for agents: keep retrieval on-device and expose it via an MCP server so tools can write/read memory without prompt scaffolding.

**Best for:** Apple Silicon users who want private, low-latency memory for agent workflows

**Works with:** MCP clients (Claude Code, etc.); SwiftPM integration (see README)

**Setup time:** 5–20 minutes

### Key facts (verified)

- README includes an MCP install command via `npx -y waxmcp@latest ...`.
- Also documents HTTP transport flags for remote/team setups (see README).
- GitHub: 731 stars · 42 forks; pushed 2026-05-13 (GitHub API verified).

## Main

### Treat memory as a real interface

Write small, queryable facts, keep writes explicit, and log reads/writes in your agent traces.

### README excerpt (verbatim)

<!-- HEADER:START -->
<div align="center">
  <picture>
    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="Resources/docs/assets/banner-dark.svg">
    <img src="Resources/docs/assets/banner-light.svg" width="800" alt="Wax Banner">
  </picture>
</div>

<div style="height: 16px;"></div>

<p align="center">
  <strong>Wax is a high-performance, single-file memory layer for AI agents on Apple platforms.</strong><br/>
  On-device, private, and portable. No server and no cloud dependency.
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://github.com/christopherkarani/Wax/releases"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/christopherkarani/Wax?style=flat-square&logo=swift&logoColor=white&label=Swift" alt="Swift" /></a>
  <a href="https://developer.apple.com/ios/"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/platform-iOS%20%7C%20macOS-lightgrey?style=flat-square" alt="Platforms" /></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/christopherkarani/Wax/blob/main/LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/license-Apache%202.0-blue?style=flat-square" alt="License" /></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/christopherkarani/Wax/stargazers"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/christopherkarani/Wax?style=flat-square&logo=github" alt="Stars" /></a>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="README.md">English</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.es.md">Español</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.fr.md">Français</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.ja.md">日本語</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.ko.md">한국어</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.pt.md">Português</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.zh-CN.md">中文</a>
</p>
<!-- HEADER:END -->

---

## What is Wax?

Wax is a Swift-native persistence engine for AI agents. It stores documents, embeddings, and structured knowledge in a single portable `.wax` file.

The goal is simple: keep memory local, keep setup light, and make recall fast enough that it can stay in the loop.

### Why Wax?

| Feature          | Wax                    | SQLite (FTS5)          | Cloud Vector DBs       |
|:-----------------|:-----------------------|:-----------------------|:-----------------------|
| **Search**       | Hybrid (Text + Vector) | Text Only*             | Vector Only*           |
| **Latency**      | **~6ms (p95)**         | ~10ms (p95)            | 150ms - 500ms+         |
| **Privacy**      | 100% Local             | 100% Local             | Cloud-hosted           |
| **Setup**        | Zero Config            | Low                    | Complex (API Keys)     |

### FAQ

**Q: Is Wax an MCP server or a library?**
A: Both—README documents an MCP server install path and SwiftPM integration.

**Q: Do I need a separate vector database?**
A: The README positions it as local-first; treat it as an on-device retrieval layer for many cases.

**Q: Can I host it remotely?**
A: README shows HTTP transport options; evaluate privacy and auth before using remote mode.

## Source & Thanks

> Source: https://github.com/christopherkarani/Wax
> License: Apache-2.0
> GitHub stars: 731 · forks: 42

---

<!-- ZH -->

## 快速使用

```bash
npx -y waxmcp@latest mcp install --scope user
claude install-skill https://github.com/christopherkarani/Wax/tree/main/Resources/skills/public/wax
```

## 简介

Wax 是面向 agent 的本地优先记忆层：把检索与记忆放在本机，通过 MCP server 暴露读写接口，减少依赖“提示工程”去模拟记忆。

**最适合：** 想要私密、低延迟记忆能力的 Apple Silicon 用户

**适配：** MCP 客户端（Claude Code 等）；也可用 SwiftPM 集成（README 有说明）

**配置时间：** 5–20 分钟

### 关键事实（已验证）

- README 提供通过 `npx -y waxmcp@latest ...` 安装 MCP 的命令。
- 同时给出 HTTP transport 的启动参数用于远程/团队部署（README 描述）。
- GitHub：731 stars · 42 forks；最近更新 2026-05-13（GitHub API 验证）。

## 正文

### 把记忆当成真正的“接口”

写入小而可查询的事实，让写入显式可控，并把读写操作记录进 agent trace。

### README 原文节选（verbatim）

<!-- HEADER:START -->
<div align="center">
  <picture>
    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="Resources/docs/assets/banner-dark.svg">
    <img src="Resources/docs/assets/banner-light.svg" width="800" alt="Wax Banner">
  </picture>
</div>

<div style="height: 16px;"></div>

<p align="center">
  <strong>Wax is a high-performance, single-file memory layer for AI agents on Apple platforms.</strong><br/>
  On-device, private, and portable. No server and no cloud dependency.
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://github.com/christopherkarani/Wax/releases"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/christopherkarani/Wax?style=flat-square&logo=swift&logoColor=white&label=Swift" alt="Swift" /></a>
  <a href="https://developer.apple.com/ios/"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/platform-iOS%20%7C%20macOS-lightgrey?style=flat-square" alt="Platforms" /></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/christopherkarani/Wax/blob/main/LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/license-Apache%202.0-blue?style=flat-square" alt="License" /></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/christopherkarani/Wax/stargazers"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/christopherkarani/Wax?style=flat-square&logo=github" alt="Stars" /></a>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="README.md">English</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.es.md">Español</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.fr.md">Français</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.ja.md">日本語</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.ko.md">한국어</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.pt.md">Português</a> · <a href="Resources/locales/README.zh-CN.md">中文</a>
</p>
<!-- HEADER:END -->

---

## What is Wax?

Wax is a Swift-native persistence engine for AI agents. It stores documents, embeddings, and structured knowledge in a single portable `.wax` file.

The goal is simple: keep memory local, keep setup light, and make recall fast enough that it can stay in the loop.

### Why Wax?

| Feature          | Wax                    | SQLite (FTS5)          | Cloud Vector DBs       |
|:-----------------|:-----------------------|:-----------------------|:-----------------------|
| **Search**       | Hybrid (Text + Vector) | Text Only*             | Vector Only*           |
| **Latency**      | **~6ms (p95)**         | ~10ms (p95)            | 150ms - 500ms+         |
| **Privacy**      | 100% Local             | 100% Local             | Cloud-hosted           |
| **Setup**        | Zero Config            | Low                    | Complex (API Keys)     |

### FAQ

**Wax 是 MCP server 还是库？**
答：两者都是：README 同时提供 MCP 安装方式与 SwiftPM 集成方式。

**需要再配一个向量数据库吗？**
答：README 强调本地优先；很多场景可直接当作 on-device 检索层使用。

**能远程部署吗？**
答：README 给出 HTTP transport；使用前请评估隐私与鉴权。

## 来源与感谢

> Source: https://github.com/christopherkarani/Wax
> License: Apache-2.0
> GitHub stars: 731 · forks: 42


---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/wax-on-device-memory-layer-mcp-server
Author: AI Open Source