APEX PSI vs Filesystem
A side-by-side look at the APEX PSI and Filesystem MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose APEX PSI for cryptography work as a local process; choose Filesystem for file systems as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose APEX PSI when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Cryptography domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
seal, verify, anchor.
Choose Filesystem when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the File Systems domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
path, head, tail.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Cryptography | File Systems |
| Quality signal | 60/100 · Good | 85/100 · Excellent |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | No auth required |
| Pricing | Not declared | Free |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Verified |
| GitHub stars | 1 | 91,487 |
| Directory activity | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 9 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 5 | 17 |
| Full listing | View APEX PSI | View Filesystem |
Tools & capabilities
APEX PSI tools 5
sealStamp a cryptographic receipt on content. Writes to the APEX PSI append-only ledger with SHA-256 hash, Ed25519 signature, and post-quantum LMS-W4-SHA256 signature. Proves existence and integrity at a point in time — not the truth of the contents.verifyConfirm a seal's integrity against the APEX PSI append-only ledger. Accepts a receipt object (from the seal tool) or a raw SHA-256 hash. Reports whether the hash is present and anchored — integrity, not the truth of the original content.anchorRead the Bitcoin (OpenTimestamps) anchoring state of the ledger's pending Merkle roots, or — only when action:'anchor' is passed explicitly — request that pending roots be aggregated and submitted to the OTS calendars. Defaults to 'status' (read-only) so a routine call never triggers a batch write. An anchor becomes confirmed only when a real Bitcoin block is found.citeGenerate a citation for a sealed receipt in APA, BibTeX, or MLA format, citing the APEX PSI ledger entry.verify_chainIndependently verify a chain of receipts against the APEX PSI ledger. Recomputes each hash's presence and integrity and reports Merkle chain continuity. Returns a verification report — a recomputation result, not an opinion or a certification.
Filesystem tools 17
pathheadtailpathscontenteditsoldTextnewTextdryRunsortBysourcedestination- +5 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
APEX PSI
{
"mcpServers": {
"apex-psi": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"apex-psi-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Filesystem
{
"mcpServers": {
"filesystem": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
APEX PSI is categorized under Cryptography and uses a local stdio subprocess. Filesystem belongs to File Systems and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick APEX PSI for cryptography work and Filesystem for file systems.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
APEX PSI has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Filesystem is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add apex-psi and filesystem as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, APEX PSI has a quality signal of 60/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars. Filesystem has 85/100 (Excellent) with 9 views, 0 installs and 91,487 GitHub stars.