What are the best Rewind AI alternatives to consider in 2025?

If you’ve been following Rewind AI for a while, you might have noticed there haven’t been many new feature releases recently …that probably signaled you to take a step back and look for other options. Plus, sending all your secret stuff to the cloud doesn’t seem like the best idea. 👀

Or perhaps, there are a couple of other reasons why you are looking to switch: 

1. Privacy needs: Developers working with sensitive code often need tools that process and store data locally, not in the cloud. Plus, always-on recording isn't for everyone – many want to choose what gets saved.

2. Integration gaps: Rewind doesn't deeply integrate with IDEs or version control systems. The ongoing issue of context switching remains.

3. Lack of code context: It records screens, but doesn't understand the structure or logic of the code being written.

4. Platform limits: Rewind doesn't support Linux, a deal-breaker for many devs.

So, what are the other options? You can jump straight to the list by scrolling through the table of contents, but I’ve also put together a simple framework to illustrate what developers are actually looking for right now. 

It’s based on a mix of endless LinkedIn scrolling, Reddit threads, conversations with peers, and, well… personal experience.

I’ve tried to keep it as transparent as possible but I’ll let you be the judge. 

Let’s take a look at the framework and walk through how each part fits together – you can think of it as a layered approach to understanding what developers really want.

What developers actually want in a memory tool

A practical framework based on real-world noise, nuance, testing, and a lot of scrolling

And that brings us to the selection of the options based on this classification.

Pieces

Best for code-aware, private developer workflows

Pieces is built from the ground up for engineers. 

Unlike Rewind AI, which captures your whole screen, Pieces focuses on capturing context-rich code snippets and associated knowledge across your tools: IDEs, browsers, terminals, and messaging apps, even when you are offline. 

It processes all data locally with SOC 2 Type II certification, ensuring sensitive information never leaves your device.

Where it excels over Rewind and even Microsoft Recall is in code awareness: Pieces automatically extracts meaningful metadata like file type, language, repo context, and even related documentation. Its Long-Term Memory Agent helps resurface the right snippet at the right time, reducing rework, and will repeat myself again, capturing the memories that YOU want.

Compared to Memex or MyMind, Pieces wins in code specificity and developer integrations. Where it loses slightly is in visual memory — you won't get full-screen recordings like Screenpipe offers.

Plus, Pieces recently released a bunch of lightweight nano models that run entirely on-device. These bring massive speed improvements to context processing and retrieval, making it even faster to find the code, context, and knowledge you’ve saved.

And with the new Pieces MCP Server, you can access that memory from your favorite tools like Cursor and GitHub Copilot, giving you access to your memories across your entire workflow.

Versus other tools

• Versus Microsoft Recall: Pieces wins on privacy, Linux support, and dev-centric features.

• Versus Memex: Memex is better for web research; Pieces wins in IDE + code context.

• Versus Rewind AI: More control, no passive surveillance, and developer-native.

Microsoft Recall

Best for Windows-centric enterprises

Microsoft Recall offers a native, AI-powered memory system built directly into Windows. 

It continuously records your screen and indexes activities across apps, documents, and browsing sessions. 

Recall's timeline UI makes revisiting work intuitive, and its contextual search lets users track down anything they saw,  even text inside images.

Where Recall excels is in enterprise readiness: it inherits Microsoft's robust compliance, security protocols, and system-level integration.

For IT teams, this can be a major win, but also a major burden. Implementing Recall often requires governance, group policies, and strict rules before it's rolled out, especially in regulated environments.

Unlike Pieces, Recall lacks true developer context, it doesn't understand code structures or offer IDE integrations. It also lacks Linux support.

Versus other alternatives

• Versus Pieces: Recall is stronger for general screen capture in corporate settings; Pieces wins in code context, privacy, and multi-platform support.

• Versus Rewind AI: Similar in function, but Recall benefits from deep OS integration — if you're in the Windows ecosystem.

• Downside: Not usable without company-wide IT implementation plans.

Memex

Best for organizing web-based knowledge

Memex shines for developers and researchers who spend hours in the browser. It lets you highlight, annotate, tag, and save web content, then find it later using fast search. 

It's ideal for organizing documentation, Stack Overflow answers, blog posts, and to some extent, for managing AI knowledge systems (which, by the way, Pieces also supports).

Unlike Rewind AI or Microsoft Recall, Memex doesn't record your whole screen, it selectively captures only what you choose, which is great for privacy-conscious users. 

Its browser-first model feels lighter and more intentional than always-on tools.

Compared to Pieces, Memex is better for deep, structured web annotation but lacks IDE integrations and code memory features. You won't find AI-driven snippet surfacing or project-based code context.

Versus other tools

• Versus Pieces: Memex excels in web research and tagging; Pieces wins in technical snippet memory and IDE context.

• Versus Rewind AI: Memex gives you control over what's saved; Rewind records everything.

• Versus MyMind: Memex is more structured; MyMind is more fluid.

Screenpipe

Best for Visual Memory with privacy

Screenpipe is a visual memory tool that records screen activity in a privacy-first, open-source package. Think of it like a more ethical Rewind AI – you get screen capture and timeline playback, but all data stays local.

This makes it great for documenting visual workflows, UI bugs, or debugging sessions. Developers working with front-end tools or design systems can especially benefit. 

Unlike Pieces, Screenpipe doesn't parse code or understand snippet context – it's purely visual.

Compared to Recall, Screenpipe wins on openness and cross-platform support, but loses out on OS-level deep integration and enterprise features.

Versus other tools

• Versus Pieces: Screenpipe wins in visual logging; Pieces dominates in code intelligence.

• Versus Recall: Screenpipe is easier to implement and privacy-safe; Recall is more powerful in system-wide search.

• Versus Rewind AI: Very similar in function, but Screenpipe is open-source and more transparent.

Fabric Internet OS

Best for cross-platform knowledge connection

Fabric takes a broad, OS-style approach to memory. 

It builds links between notes, documents, snippets, and tasks, giving you a connected map of your knowledge. For developers handling multiple types of content, not just code, this cross-domain thinking is a huge advantage.

Unlike Rewind or Recall, Fabric doesn't passively record your screen. Instead, it captures user-curated inputs (notes, links, attachments) and applies AI to connect them intelligently.

Where it lags behind Pieces is in dev-specific tooling: there's no deep IDE or terminal integration, or latest MCP integrations like folks do at Pieces. 

But Fabric wins in cross-platform harmony and intelligent knowledge mapping.

Versus other tools

• Versus Pieces: Fabric wins in holistic knowledge management; Pieces wins in developer specificity.

• Versus Memex: Fabric offers a broader scope; Memex is better for web detail.

• Versus Rewind AI: Fabric is opt-in and structured, not passive and chaotic.

CodeStory

Best for tracking snippet evolution

CodeStory positions itself as a memory tool for your code. It tracks snippets, their evolution over time, and even lets you attach reasoning or context for each revision. If you've ever lost track of why a hack worked, CodeStory helps prevent that.

It's Git-integrated and privacy-conscious. Unlike Rewind AI or Recall, it doesn't record screens, instead, it tracks intentional saves with metadata. 

Compared to Pieces, it's narrower in scope but richer in version history and evolution tracking, but might still be losing to its AI workflow history.

Versus other tools

• Versus Pieces: Pieces handles broader capture (browser, IDE, Slack); CodeStory is more granular in code change history.

• Versus Recall: Recall is about passive capture; CodeStory is intentional and code-specific.

• Best for: Developers building a knowledge base of "why we did what we did."

Cody by Sourcegraph

Best for codebase-level intelligence

Cody, Sourcegraph's AI assistant, isn't a memory tool in the traditional sense – it's a context-aware coding agent that can answer questions about your entire repo. 

It uses embeddings and AI to help you refactor, understand legacy code, or navigate unfamiliar projects.

Where Cody wins over Rewind or Recall is in depth: it understands and interacts with your codebase. 

But it doesn't record activity or let you save custom snippets or notes.

Compared to Pieces, Cody is stronger in repo-wide reasoning; Pieces is better at cross-tool snippet management and contextual recall across dev environments.

Versus other tools

• Versus Pieces: Cody excels in deep codebase Q&A; Pieces shines in snippets, multi-tool context, and cross-project memory.

• Versus Recall: Cody is code-native; Recall is OS-native.

❕Considering that AI Memory becomes a thing, and almost every other product “positions itself as a memory tool” with differences in functionality, I’d spend some time investigating its impact (if you like me, like reading tons of stuff first).

Heyday

Best for smart web recall

Heyday passively resurfaces relevant content (docs, links, articles) based on your current task. 

It's especially useful when researching – instead of bookmarks, Heyday reminds you of what you've already seen that might be relevant.

It's not code-aware and doesn't have IDE integrations, so it's less effective than Pieces or Cody for technical use cases. 

But for broader research, it's smart and low-friction.

Versus other tools

• Versus Memex: Heyday is ambient and automatic; Memex is structured and manual.

• Versus Pieces: Pieces gives code + context; Heyday gives content + context.

• Use it for: Enhancing memory during research-heavy work.

MyMind

Best for minimalist knowledge capture

MyMind is a lightweight, beautifully designed tool to capture and resurface information without folders, tags, or categories. 

Its philosophy is "save now, search later."

It supports bookmarks, notes, and even code, but lacks deep dev features like snippet metadata, IDE plugins, or project linking. 

Compared to Rewind AI, MyMind is more private and selective. Compared to Pieces, it's more minimalist and not really dev-oriented, but more like a folder to organize all workflow. 

Versus other tools

• Versus Pieces: MyMind wins in elegance and simplicity; Pieces wins in utility and dev workflows.

• Versus Memex: MyMind is less structured, more aesthetic; Memex is more functional.

• Best for: Developers who want a clean, frictionless memory experience.

Let your tools work like memory should

One thing is obvious: whether you’re juggling projects, switching environments, or revisiting bugs from last week, the right memory tool shouldn’t just remember what you did, it should remember why you did it.

Most tools are either too narrow (only remembering what’s in their silo) or too general (logging everything without real understanding). 

Pieces hits the middle. It is designed to work across your stack, quietly remembering what matters, and staying local while doing it.

“Memory is not about saving everything. It’s about knowing what to surface, and when.”

That’s the difference. 

You don’t need more data. 

You need more context. And with the right memory layer, you get to spend less time searching  and more time building.

Download the free desktop app to see how on-device memory works for you.