Canvas Lms MCP vs Paxaver MCP
A side-by-side look at the Canvas Lms MCP and Paxaver MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Canvas Lms MCP for education work as a local process; choose Paxaver MCP for education over a hosted endpoint. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Canvas Lms MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Education domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
CANVAS_API_TOKEN, CANVAS_BASE_URL, CANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS. - You want tools like
health_check, list_courses, get_course.
Choose Paxaver MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Education domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
- You want tools like
daily_lunch_menu, wallet_balance, upcoming_events.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Education | Education |
| Quality signal | 67/100 · Great | 52/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Remote HTTP/SSE |
| Auth | API key required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | CANVAS_API_TOKENCANVAS_BASE_URLCANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 10 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 174 | 4 |
| Full listing | View Canvas Lms MCP | View Paxaver MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Canvas Lms MCP tools 174
health_checkCheck if the Canvas API is reachable and the token is valid. Returns ok/error status.list_coursesList courses for the authenticated user. Use fields="slim" when enumerating courses for selection; switch to "full" once you have identified the target. slim returns id, name, course_code, term name, and workflow_state only. "full" (default) includes all Canvas fields plus `include` extras (teachers, total_students, syllabus_body, etc.). `state[]` narrows by course workflow state; `enrollment_state` narrows by the caller's enrollment state.get_courseGet details for a single course. Defaults to requesting `term` and `total_students`. Pass `include` to replace the default set with custom Canvas include[] fields (teachers, permissions, syllabus_body, sections, etc.).get_syllabusGet the syllabus HTML body for a course.create_courseCreate a new course in a Canvas account. Returns the created course object.update_courseUpdate an existing course. Only provided fields are changed; omitted fields are left as-is.list_assignmentsList all assignments in a course. Use fields="slim" when enumerating assignments for selection; switch to "full" once you've identified the target. slim returns id, name, due_at, points_possible, published, and course_id only. "full" (default) includes all Canvas fields plus `include` extras (submission, all_dates, overrides, score_statistics, etc.). Use `bucket` to filter by past/upcoming/overdue/etc. Other filters: `search_term`, `assignment_ids`, `order_by`.get_assignmentGet details for a single assignment by ID. Use `include` to request submission, overrides, all_dates, score_statistics, and other optional fields.list_assignment_groupsList assignment groups (categories like Homework, Exams) in a course. Use `include=assignments` to nest assignments under each group; other includes add submission, overrides, score_statistics, etc.create_assignmentCreate a new assignment in a course.update_assignmentUpdate an existing assignment in a course.delete_assignmentDelete an assignment from a course. This action is permanent.- +162 more on the listing page
Paxaver MCP tools 4
daily_lunch_menushow the school's lunch menu, with optional date or month.wallet_balancereport the current spendable wallet balance and remind the user that top-up happens in the Paxaver panel.upcoming_eventslist upcoming school events and offer registration or volunteer sign-up.lunch_order_helperguide a user through selecting a student, reviewing a lunch order draft, and confirming payment. It accepts an optional `student_name` argument.
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.
Canvas Lms MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"canvas-lms-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"canvas-lms-mcp"
],
"env": {
"CANVAS_API_TOKEN": "YOUR_CANVAS_API_TOKEN_HERE",
"CANVAS_BASE_URL": "YOUR_CANVAS_BASE_URL_HERE",
"CANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS": "YOUR_CANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Paxaver MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"paxaver-mcp": {
"url": "http://localhost:8787/mcp"
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Canvas Lms MCP is categorized under Education and uses a local stdio subprocess. Paxaver MCP belongs to Education and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Pick Canvas Lms MCP for education work and Paxaver MCP for education.
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.
Canvas Lms MCP is listed as free. Auth: api key required. Paxaver MCP 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 canvas-lms-mcp and paxaver-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Canvas Lms MCP has a quality signal of 67/100 (Great) with 2 views, 0 installs and 10 GitHub stars. Paxaver MCP has 52/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.