What is the key difference between Obsidian Codex MCP and MCP Obsidian?

Obsidian Codex MCP belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution, while MCP Obsidian belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Obsidian Codex MCP or MCP Obsidian in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Obsidian Codex MCP and MCP Obsidian free or paid?

Obsidian Codex MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). MCP Obsidian operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Obsidian Codex MCP lists 17 tools with 2 views and 16 GitHub stars. MCP Obsidian lists 6 tools with 3 views and 4,462 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Obsidian Codex MCP and MCP Obsidian together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Obsidian Codex MCP vs MCP Obsidian

In-depth architectural comparison of the Obsidian Codex MCP and MCP Obsidian 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.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Obsidian Codex MCP

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 53/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

MCP Obsidian

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 52/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose Obsidian Codex MCP if you need specialized Knowledge & Memory tools running via a local process. Choose MCP Obsidian if your workspace requires Knowledge & Memory integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Obsidian Codex MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH, OBSIDIAN_READ_ONLY, OBSIDIAN_BACKUP_ON_WRITE.
Primary tools included: configure_vault, get_note, create_note.

Explore Obsidian Codex MCP Details

Choose MCP Obsidian when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: OBSIDIAN_API_KEY.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Obsidian Codex MCP dot-RealityTest Knowledge & Memory	MCP Obsidian MarkusPfundstein Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Local-first Obsidian vault MCP server for Codex, Claude Desktop, and other MCP clients. Works directly with markdown files, no Obsidian plugin, API key, cloud service, or running Obsidian app required. Includes read-only mode, backup-on-write, path isolation, and setup examples.	MCP server that interacts with Obsidian via the Obsidian rest API community plugin
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Obsidian Codex MCP Tools (17)

configure_vault

set or change the vault path

get_note

read one markdown note by vault-relative path

create_note

create a new markdown note with optional metadata

update_note

update note content and/or frontmatter

delete_note

delete a markdown note

list_notes

list notes in the vault or a folder

search_notes

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).

Obsidian Codex MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dot-realitytest-obsidian-codex-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "dot-realitytest-obsidian-codex-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH": "YOUR_OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH_HERE",
        "OBSIDIAN_READ_ONLY": "YOUR_OBSIDIAN_READ_ONLY_HERE",
        "OBSIDIAN_BACKUP_ON_WRITE": "YOUR_OBSIDIAN_BACKUP_ON_WRITE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP Obsidian Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "markuspfundstein-mcp-obsidian": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-obsidian"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "YOUR_OBSIDIAN_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Obsidian Codex MCP is categorized under Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, MCP Obsidian belongs to Knowledge & Memory using local stdio subprocess. Select Obsidian Codex MCP when you need capabilities focused on knowledge & memory and MCP Obsidian when you require tools for knowledge & memory.

More alternatives to Obsidian Codex MCP More alternatives to MCP Obsidian Knowledge & Memory category hub