Last updated 07-28-2026
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Vana
Vana is open data infrastructure for human-grounded AI, built around a personal server you control on your own device. Connect accounts like Spotify, Oura, and your calendar, see what you have created across platforms, and decide which apps or AI tools get access. The Vana App at app.vana.org is the consumer entry point, while docs and SDKs on GitHub support builders who want user-owned context without rebuilding memory from scratch.
Major AI assistants added proprietary memory in 2025 and 2026, but each keeps context on its own servers and it does not travel when you switch tools. Vana's 2026 App upgrade stores that context locally and exposes it through Portable Memory MCP, so Claude, ChatGPT, and other MCP clients can read from one source you own. That is the trade-off: you manage permissions yourself instead of accepting a platform's walled garden.
Builders use the Data Portability API to ship apps that request data directly from users rather than scraping third-party platforms. The Vana Foundation runs grants, cohorts, and a 1.5 million-person data network for contributors who want their information to create value. Enterprise teams route to OpenDataLabs for licensed training data, separate from the consumer app.
Vana App upgrade runs a personal data server on your device with record-level permissions you can revoke any time
Portable Memory MCP lets Claude, ChatGPT, and other MCP tools read context from the server you control
Connect Spotify, Oura, calendar, and conversation sources once, then permission data to any Vana app
Data Portability API lets builders read from a user's Vana server after direct consent, without platform APIs
1.5 million participants in the Vana data network cited on the Participate page
Explore 11 ecosystem apps including Reddit Data DAO, MindDAO, and VanaTensor from the Use page
Personal server keeps connected data on your device instead of a single AI vendor's cloud.
Portable Memory MCP shares context across Claude, ChatGPT, and other MCP-compliant tools from one source.
Record-level consent can be granted or revoked without asking a platform for access to your own data.
Builders can request user context through the Data Portability API instead of rebuilding memory infrastructure.
The Vana App memory upgrade is in Beta, so the personal server experience is still maturing.
Full value depends on connecting external accounts like Spotify, Oura, and calendars.
Builder onboarding requires working through protocol docs, SDKs, and Discord support channels.
What is Vana?
Vana is open data infrastructure for human-grounded AI. The Vana App lets you connect accounts, store data on a personal server you control, and permission that context to apps or AI tools you choose.
How does Vana personal data server work?
Vana stores connected data locally on your device through the Vana App upgrade. You grant record-level permissions to apps or AI systems and can revoke access any time without a platform intermediary.
Is Vana free to use?
Yes, Vana offers free access to the Vana App and web app at app.vana.org. The site does not list paid consumer tiers; builders can apply for rolling Data Grants through the Participate page.
What is Portable Memory MCP on Vana?
Portable Memory MCP is an endpoint on your Vana personal server that MCP-compliant tools can read. Vana says Claude, ChatGPT, and other MCP clients can pull memory from one source you own instead of a single vendor's vault.
What data sources can Vana connect?
Vana's July 2026 memory upgrade blog names Spotify listening history, Oura sleep and recovery data, calendar entries, and conversations across platforms as connectable sources for the personal server.
How do builders use Vana?
Builders use Vana's Data Portability API and SDKs documented at docs.vana.org to read from a user's personal server after consent. The Build page points to GitHub source, Discord support, and a local-to-mainnet app guide.