MCP Obsidian vs Codegraph

A side-by-side look at the MCP Obsidian and Codegraph MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.

MCP Obsidian logoMCP ObsidianKnowledge & Memory · Local subprocess (stdio)Universal AI bridge for Obsidian vaults using MCP. Provides safe read/write access to notes with 11 comprehensive methods for vault operations including search, batch operations, tag management, and frontmatter handling. Works with Claude, ChatGPT, and any MCP-compatible AI assistant.73GreatAuth: no auth requiredCodegraph logoCodegraphKnowledge & Memory · Local subprocess (stdio)Semantic code graph with 34 tools: callers, impact, complexity, AI context, memory. 38 languages.63GoodAuth: not declared

Verdict: choose MCP Obsidian for knowledge & memory work as a local process; choose Codegraph for knowledge & memory as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Which MCP server should you choose?

MCP Obsidian logoChoose MCP Obsidian when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
  • You want tools like read_note, write_note, patch_note.
Explore MCP Obsidian

Codegraph logoChoose Codegraph when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • You want tools like get_ai_context, get_edit_context, get_curated_context.
Explore Codegraph

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

SpecMCP Obsidian logoMCP ObsidianCodegraph logoCodegraph
CategoryKnowledge & MemoryKnowledge & Memory
Quality signal73/100 · Great63/100 · Good
Install commandConfirmedConfirmed
TransportLocal subprocess (stdio)Local subprocess (stdio)
AuthNo auth requiredNot declared
PricingFreeNot declared
Required env varsNone listedNone listed
Verified ownerCommunity listingCommunity listing
GitHub stars1,702132
Directory activity 11 views 0 installs 0 upvotes 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
Tools1856

Tools & capabilities

MCP Obsidian tools 18

  • read_noteRead a note from the Obsidian vault
  • write_noteWrite a note to the Obsidian vault
  • patch_noteEfficiently update part of a note by replacing a specific string. This is more efficient than rewriting the entire note for small changes.
  • list_directoryList files and directories in the vault (includes non-note filenames, while read/write tools remain note-only)
  • delete_noteDelete a note from the Obsidian vault (requires confirmation). Supports permanent delete, vault trash, or system trash.
  • search_notesSearch for notes in the vault by content or frontmatter
  • move_noteMove or rename a note in the vault
  • move_fileMove or rename any file in the vault (binary-safe, file-only, requires confirmation)
  • read_multiple_notesRead multiple notes in a batch (max 10 files)
  • update_frontmatterUpdate frontmatter of a note without changing content
  • get_notes_infoGet metadata for notes without reading full content
  • get_frontmatterExtract frontmatter from a note without reading the content
  • +6 more on the listing page

Codegraph tools 56

  • get_ai_contextPrimary context tool.** Intent-aware (explain/modify/debug/test) with token budgeting. Returns source, related symbols, imports, siblings, debug hints.
  • get_edit_contextEverything needed before editing: source + callers + tests + memories + git history
  • get_curated_contextCross-codebase context for a natural language query ("how does auth work?")
  • analyze_impactBlast radius prediction — what breaks if you modify, delete, or rename
  • analyze_complexityCyclomatic complexity with breakdown (branches, loops, nesting, exceptions, early returns)
  • find_circular_depsDetect circular import/dependency chains across files
  • find_hot_pathsMost-called functions ranked by transitive caller count
  • find_dead_importsFind unused imports — modules imported but never referenced
  • get_module_summaryHigh-level summary of a directory: file count, functions, language breakdown, top complex functions
  • search_by_patternRegex search across function bodies, signatures, names, and docstrings
  • search_by_errorFind functions that throw, catch, or handle specific error types
  • symbol_searchFind symbols by name or natural language (hybrid BM25 + semantic search)
  • +44 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.

MCP Obsidian

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bitbonsai-mcp-obsidian": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@bitbonsai/mcpvault@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Codegraph

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "codegraph": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@vscode/vsce"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

MCP Obsidian is categorized under Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. Codegraph belongs to Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick MCP Obsidian for knowledge & memory work and Codegraph for knowledge & memory.

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.

MCP Obsidian is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Codegraph has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. 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 bitbonsai-mcp-obsidian and codegraph as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

On AllMCPs, MCP Obsidian has a quality signal of 73/100 (Great) with 11 views, 0 installs and 1,702 GitHub stars. Codegraph has 63/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 132 GitHub stars.