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

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

How do I install Obsidian Codex MCP or Tela 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 Tela free or paid?

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

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Obsidian Codex MCP lists 6 tools with 2 views and 15 GitHub stars. Tela lists 6 tools with 3 views and 63 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Obsidian Codex MCP and Tela 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 Tela

In-depth architectural comparison of the Obsidian Codex MCP and Tela 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: 44/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Tela

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 60/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose Obsidian Codex MCP if you need specialized Knowledge & Memory tools running via a local process. Choose Tela 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: VAULT_PATH, READ_ONLY, BACKUP_ON_WRITE.
Primary tools included: Direct filesystem access to markdown notes, Read-only mode to prevent writes, Backup-on-write before updates and deletes.

Explore Obsidian Codex MCP Details

Choose Tela 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: TELA_PUBLIC_BASE_URL, TELA_SHARE_SECRET, TELA_API_KEY_SECRET, TELA_PG_PASSWORD.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Obsidian Codex MCP dot-RealityTest Knowledge & Memory	Tela zcag 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.	Self-hostable, markdown-native team wiki with a built-in MCP server: agents search, read, and write your wiki pages (ranked Postgres full-text + semantic search, backlink traversal). Plus Atlas, which auto-generates a cited, coverage-checked wiki from your git repos and Jira. Go + Postgres. npx tela-mcp
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Obsidian Codex MCP Tools (6)

Direct filesystem access to markdown notes

Read-only mode to prevent writes

Backup-on-write before updates and deletes

Path traversal protection and vault isolation

Full support for Obsidian Bases (.base) with schema validation

Works with any MCP client via JSON or TOML config

Tela Tools (6)

MCP access to search, read, and write wiki pages

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": {
        "VAULT_PATH": "YOUR_VAULT_PATH_HERE",
        "READ_ONLY": "YOUR_READ_ONLY_HERE",
        "BACKUP_ON_WRITE": "YOUR_BACKUP_ON_WRITE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tela Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zcag-tela": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "tela-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "TELA_PUBLIC_BASE_URL": "YOUR_TELA_PUBLIC_BASE_URL_HERE",
        "TELA_SHARE_SECRET": "YOUR_TELA_SHARE_SECRET_HERE",
        "TELA_API_KEY_SECRET": "YOUR_TELA_API_KEY_SECRET_HERE",
        "TELA_PG_PASSWORD": "YOUR_TELA_PG_PASSWORD_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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