Cognition compare
Cognition vs AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md rules files
AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md are static markdown files in your repository that tell an agent how to behave on every session. Cognition keeps a hosted instruction contract in sync, stores approved skills from real work, and retrieves them when the task matches.
Cognition is for
You and your coding agents
Teams who outgrow static files: you want skills to accumulate from sessions, require approval, and stay fresh without merging giant markdown diffs every week.
AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md is for
Their primary user
Teams who want simple, reviewable, git-tracked instructions that live entirely in the repo with no external service.
Side by side
| Aspect | Cognition | AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md |
|---|---|---|
| Update mechanism | Hosted pedagogy version plus user-approved skill saves via MCP | Edit committed markdown; agent rereads on next session |
| Scope | Personal skills plus optional shared skills with attribution | Usually one file (or few) visible to everyone with repo access |
| Match to task | Assist retrieves skills by intent and paths | Whole file (or managed block) loads regardless of task |
| Proof of reuse | Outcome receipts and freshness signals on skills | Git history only; no built-in did-this-help signal |
| Cross-host | Same brain address across Cursor, Codex, Claude Code, Gemini | Depends on each host reading the same repo files |
When to pick AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md
- Your instructions are small, stable, and you want zero external dependency.
- Everything must live in git with no MCP key.
- You do not need per-skill approval or decay semantics.
How they work together
Keep AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md as the thin bootstrap that calls Cognition for hosted pedagogy and skills. Cognition-managed blocks in those files are designed to stay small while memory lives in the service.
Try Cognition free for two weeks
Memory and judgment for you and your agents. Install in about two minutes for Cursor, Codex, Claude Code, or Gemini. Then $9.99/mo, cancel anytime.