Canvas API MCP vs Canvas Lms MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Canvas API MCP and Canvas Lms MCP MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Canvas API MCP when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Education domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: whoami, get_calendar_feed_url, my_courses.

Explore Canvas API MCP Details

Choose Canvas Lms MCP when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Education domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: view_course_structure.

Explore Canvas Lms MCP Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Canvas API MCP Education	Canvas Lms MCP Education
Summary	MCP server exposing the Canvas LMS REST API (1,116 endpoints) for AI assistants	TypeScript MCP server for Canvas LMS — 115 read+write tools across 17 domains.
Category & Scope	Education	Education
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "canvas-api-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "canvas-api-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "canvas-lms-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "canvas-lms-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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