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# Zero-setup onboarding

Zero-setup onboarding means memory works from the first message with no installation, configuration, or infrastructure required. Platform memory products like ChatGPT and Claude provide this by embedding memory into the chat product itself.

## Trade-offs

The convenience of zero-setup comes at a cost: the vendor controls where data lives, how it is structured, and what guarantees it provides. Users cannot export, version, or audit memory independently. Retrieval systems and file-based approaches require setup but offer more control. Neotoma requires installation but provides [deterministic state evolution](/deterministic-state-evolution), [versioned history](/versioned-history), and [human inspectability](/human-inspectability) in exchange.

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## Getting started with Neotoma

While Neotoma is not zero-setup, the install process is minimal. See the [install guide](/install) for step-by-step instructions.

npm install -g neotoma
neotoma api start --env prod

Compare memory approaches on the [memory models](/memory-models) page.