MCP Obsidian vs Compute Connector

A side-by-side look at the MCP Obsidian and Compute Connector 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 required
C
Compute ConnectorCode Execution · Remote HTTP/SSE
Low on memory? Your bot sends heavy jobs to cloud sandboxes on your own provider keys. Flat fee.51GoodAuth: not declared

Verdict: choose MCP Obsidian for knowledge & memory work as a local process; choose Compute Connector for code execution over a hosted endpoint. 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

C
Choose Compute Connector when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Code Execution domain.
  • You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
  • You want tools like check_memory, run_job, save_provider_key.
Explore Compute Connector

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

SpecMCP Obsidian logoMCP Obsidian
C
Compute Connector
CategoryKnowledge & MemoryCode Execution
Quality signal73/100 · Great51/100 · Good
Install commandConfirmedConfirmed
TransportLocal subprocess (stdio)Remote HTTP/SSE
AuthNo auth requiredNot declared
PricingFreeBYOK (pay the provider)
Required env varsNone listedNone listed
Verified ownerCommunity listingCommunity listing
GitHub stars1,703—
Directory activity 11 views 0 installs 0 upvotes 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
Tools188

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

Compute Connector tools 8

  • check_memoryBefore a heavy job, send how much memory the machine your agent runs on has free (free -m, os.freemem()) and what you are about to run. Get a memory warning and a verdict: run_local, or offload with the provider to use. Free watch-only logs would_offload for the weekly report; nothing runs.
  • run_jobPro: run a shell command in a fresh cloud sandbox on your own provider account (vercel (Vercel Sandbox, default), e2b, daytona, modal, workers (Workers Sandbox)) and get the exit code and the last 16 KB of stdout and stderr back. Send small input files with it. The sandbox is created for the job and stopped right after, so nothing idles on your bill. Free watch-only logs would_offload and runs nothing.
  • save_provider_keyPro, owner only: save one provider key, sealed with AES-256-GCM before it reaches the database. Providers: vercel (Vercel Sandbox, default), e2b, daytona, modal, workers (Workers Sandbox). Vercel needs team_id and project_id; Modal and Workers Sandbox need bridge_url (see provider_setup). The key is checked with a read-only call first and is never returned or logged. Free stores nothing.
  • list_providersEvery provider this connects to, how each one runs, and (with your key) the provider keys you saved: name, provider, fingerprint, default, last used. Never shows a key.
  • delete_provider_keyPro, owner only: delete a saved provider key by name. Jobs on that key stop working at once.
  • provider_setupStep-by-step setup for one provider: where to get the key, what to pass to save_provider_key, links to its docs and price page, and for Modal or Workers Sandbox the bridge code to deploy on your own account.
  • weekly_reportPlain-English summary of the last 7 days: memory checks, low-memory warnings, jobs that would have been offloaded (free) or ran (Pro) by provider, minutes and failures. Read-only; sends nothing. Needs an API key.
  • usage_and_upgradeShow today's usage for your key or IP and the $9/month upgrade link. Free tier: 500 calls/day. Not metered.

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"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Compute Connector

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "compute-connector": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "compute-connector"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

MCP Obsidian is categorized under Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. Compute Connector belongs to Code Execution and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Pick MCP Obsidian for knowledge & memory work and Compute Connector for code execution.

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. Compute Connector is bring-your-own-key: usage is billed by the API provider you supply a key for. 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 compute-connector 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 1,703 GitHub stars. Compute Connector has 51/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.