AI agent tools for semantic search
Short answer: Our top pick for semantic search: hister, with the highest AgentPick Score (77/100) among tools tagged "semantic-search". Runners-up: stashbase (70) and moss (69). Compare what each does, its license and how recently it was updated below.
| # | Tool | What it does | Score | Stars | License | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | hister | Your own search engine | 77/100 | ★ 6k | AGPL-3.0 | 14 Oct 2026 |
| #2 | stashbase | An open-source, local-first writing workspace where you can write with Claude Code and Codex, drawing on your own sources and past work. | 70/100 | ★ 1k | Apache-2.0 | 14 Oct 2026 |
| #3 | moss | The retrieval layer for production AI systems. Lightning-fast (<10ms) search without vector databases. Built for browser, edge, on-device, and cloud. | 69/100 | ★ 798 | BSD-2-Clause | 14 Oct 2026 |
| #4 | smart-second-brain | A free, open-source Obsidian plugin that makes your vault smarter: better search, an interactive knowledge graph, and an AI assistant that knows your … | 68/100 | ★ 1.3k | MIT | 13 Oct 2026 |
| #5 | jevgrep | Find code by asking what it does. A CLI for coding agents that uses Jev to discover relevant files and source context. | 67/100 | ★ 2.7k | MIT | 14 Oct 2026 |
| #6 | zvec-grep | Local-first search across your workspace, built for humans and AI agents. | 66/100 | ★ 4.1k | Apache-2.0 | 14 Oct 2026 |
| #7 | chunkhound | Your entire engineering context, deeply understood | 66/100 | ★ 1.4k | MIT | 14 Oct 2026 |
| #8 | probe | AI-friendly semantic code search engine for large codebases. Combines ripgrep speed with tree-sitter AST parsing. Powers AI coding assistants with pre… | 62/100 | ★ 727 | Apache-2.0 | 1 Oct 2026 |
| #9 | mcp-local-rag | Local-first RAG server for developers. Semantic + keyword search for code and technical docs. Works with MCP or CLI. Fully private, zero setup. | 62/100 | ★ 415 | MIT | 14 Oct 2026 |
| #10 | obsidian-mcp-plugin | High-performance Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Obsidian that provides AI tools with direct vault access through semantic operations and HTTP… | 60/100 | ★ 466 | MIT | 13 Oct 2026 |
| #11 | grepai | Semantic Search & Call Graphs for AI Agents (100% Local) | 59/100 | ★ 1.9k | MIT | 21 Sept 2026 |
| #12 | persistent-ai-memory | A persistent local memory for AI, LLMs, or Copilot in VS Code. | 42/100 | ★ 236 | MIT | 20 Sept 2026 |
| #13 | mcp-server-qdrant | An official Qdrant Model Context Protocol (MCP) server implementation | 40/100 | ★ 1.5k | Apache-2.0 | 4 Sept 2026 |
Source: each project's public GitHub repository (description, stars, license, last push). Listed tools aren't tested or ranked by AgentPick.
How to choose
- Grant the narrowest permissions the server allows.
- Check whether it runs locally or calls a remote service.
- Prefer servers listed in the official MCP registry.
Get the best new agent tools every week. Free, with a verdict on each. Get the weekly digest
Related
AI agent tools for local-first setups →
MCP servers
AI agent tools for knowledge graphs and bases →
MCP servers
AI agent tools for RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) →
MCP servers
AI agent tools for MCP client →
MCP servers
AI agent tools for cybersecurity →
MCP servers
AI agent tools for DevOps →
MCP servers
AgentPick Weekly
The week's new agent tools with a verdict on each, every week. Free. We'll email you a link to confirm, and you can unsubscribe any time. See our Privacy Policy.