Canvas Lms MCP vs Vocab Voyage
A side-by-side look at the Canvas Lms MCP and Vocab Voyage 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 Vocab Voyage 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.
- You have the keys it needs:
CANVAS_API_TOKEN, CANVAS_BASE_URL. - You want tools like
health_check, list_courses, get_course.
Choose Vocab Voyage when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Education domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
- You want tools like
get_word_of_the_day, get_course_word_list, list_courses.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Education | Education |
| Quality signal | 60/100 · Good | 48/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Remote HTTP/SSE |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | CANVAS_API_TOKENCANVAS_BASE_URL | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 10 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 174 | 14 |
| Full listing | View Canvas Lms MCP | View Vocab Voyage |
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
Vocab Voyage tools 14
get_word_of_the_dayReturns today's vocabulary Word of the Day, optionally scoped to a test family.get_course_word_listGet a sample of vocabulary words from a specific Vocab Voyage course.list_coursesLists all 13 Vocab Voyage courses with their slugs and descriptions.explain_word_in_contextExplain what a word means inside a specific sentence.play_gameLaunches one of 11 vocabulary mini-games (word_match, spelling_bee, speed_round, synonym_showdown, word_scramble, fill_in_blank, context_clues, word_guess, picture_match, crossword, word_search). Per-answer events flow to record_word_result; round XP via award_game_xp.set_personaSwitch agent bias between student, parent, tutor, or explorer.get_recommended_next_actionReturns a one-line recommendation for what the user should do next.list_starter_promptsLists the 6 MCP prompts (vocab_kickoff, test_prep_quiz, session_debrief, …) for hosts that don't surface prompts/list.record_word_resultAuth: log a per-card answer (correct or incorrect).record_session_completeAuth: log session totals and award XP.award_game_xpAuth: grant bonus XP from a completed mini-game round.mark_word_knownAuth: add a word to the user's queue or mastered list.- +2 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.
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"
}
}
}
}
Vocab Voyage
{
"mcpServers": {
"vocab-voyage": {
"url": "https://vocab.voyage/mcp/tools"
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Canvas Lms MCP is categorized under Education and uses a local stdio subprocess. Vocab Voyage belongs to Education and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Pick Canvas Lms MCP for education work and Vocab Voyage 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 has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Vocab Voyage 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 vocab-voyage 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 60/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 10 GitHub stars. Vocab Voyage has 48/100 (Fair) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.