Erd Editor vs Paperless Ngx
A side-by-side look at the Erd Editor and Paperless Ngx MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Erd Editor for developer tools work as a local process; choose Paperless Ngx for developer tools as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Erd Editor when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
erd_list_documents, erd_open_document, erd_save.
Choose Paperless Ngx when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
PAPERLESS_URL, PAPERLESS_API_KEY. - You want tools like
edit_documents_bulk, post_document, list_documents.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
| Quality signal | 71/100 · Great | 65/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | No auth required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | PAPERLESS_URLPAPERLESS_API_KEY |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 1,730 | 11 |
| Directory activity | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 77 | 109 |
| Full listing | View Erd Editor | View Paperless Ngx |
Tools & capabilities
Erd Editor tools 77
erd_list_documentsLists ERD documents with path, open, active, dirty and readonly. With an editor serving the working directory (the VS Code extension, the Obsidian plugin or the JetBrains IDE plugin) it lists that editor's, every open project's in a JetBrains IDE; otherwise the ERD files under the working directory.erd_open_documentOpens a document for editing, in the ERD editor of the editor that serves it, if one does (the VS Code extension, the Obsidian plugin or the JetBrains IDE plugin). With create it makes the file first if missing; a name with no extension gets .erd.json.erd_saveSaves a document an editor holds to disk. VS Code keeps edits unsaved until this is called; Obsidian and JetBrains IDEs save them as they save the user’s edits, and this writes them at once. On disk, with no editor, edits are written at once and this does nothing.erd_undoReverts the last edit this agent made to the document, never the user’s edits. Calls that made no undo entry are skipped and named.erd_redoApplies again the edit erd_undo last reverted.erd_readReads a document as a snapshot, as DDL, as its raw JSON or, with the scripts format, its before and after scripts alone. The sql format of the whole document includes the document's before and after scripts. The sql format with tableIds, tableNames or groupNames gives the DDL of just those tables, the way to read a large schema; a read too large for one answer is refused with how to narrow it. For ids and details prefer erd_list and erd_get. Change a document only through the erd_ tools, never by writing its file.erd_listLists a document: its settings and counts, then a page of tables, each with its id, position and size on the ERD canvas (the width approximate, the height exact), with their indexes and relationships (each relationship once, with one of its tables) and, for a table in a table group or with a logical name, its groupId or logicalName; after the tables come the table groups, the memos, then the rows of the domain, term and word dictionaries, each with its name and what it gives a physical name or column. A small schema fits in one page. On a larger one, nextOffset and note say how to go on: query finds tables by a word, namesOnly lists every table name in a call or a few. Columns, comments, memo text, the tables of a group and every field of a dictionary row come from erd_get; the foreign keys a table holds, from erd_read sql with tableNames.erd_getGives the entities named, in full: tables with their columns and size, relationships with their columns, indexes with their columns, memos with their text, table groups with their tables, and words, terms and domains with every field. Ids and names that name nothing live are listed in missing; ids one answer has no room for are listed in notReturned, to ask for again.erd_list_checksLists what the word, term and domain dictionaries find, as the Checks sheet of the editor's Dictionary tab does, and changes nothing. Errors: a name two rows of one dictionary share, a link to a domain the document does not list, a forbidden word in a logical name or a term's name. Warnings: a word no dictionary lists, a synonym used for a standard word, each in a logical name or a term's name, a physical name other than the one the term of its logical name gives, a column type other than its domain's. Each check names its target (a table, a column with its table, or a word, term or domain row) with its names, the field read, the text found and, where the dictionaries have them, the suggestions to use instead, and counts gives each code's total. The words, terms and domains come first in sheet order, then each table and its columns in document order. With no dictionary row nothing is checked. A long list comes a page at a time: pass nextOffset, or list again from offset 0 after fixing some, since a fixed check leaves the list.erd_add_tableAdds an empty table at a free spot and returns its id in createdIds. Name it with erd_change_table_name.erd_remove_tableRemoves a table with its columns, indexes and every relationship that touches it.erd_change_table_nameRenames a table. The name is then its own: nameDerived goes off, so a later logical name leaves a name that is not empty as it is.- +65 more on the listing page
Paperless Ngx tools 109
edit_documents_bulkApply ONE of a fixed set of operations to MANY documents at once. Methods: set_correspondent, set_document_type, set_storage_path, add_tag, remove_tag, modify_tags, modify_custom_fields, set_permissions, delete, reprocess, merge, split, rotate, delete_pages, edit_pdf, remove_password. For per-document field edits including title, content, created (date), archive_serial_number, or owner, use update_document instead — those fields are not editable here. Note: 'remove_tag' only removes the tag from the specified documents (tag stays in the system); 'delete_tag' permanently deletes the tag from the entire system. ⚠️ WARNING: method 'delete' permanently deletes documents and requires confirm=true. Select documents either by `documents` (IDs) or by `all: true` + `filters` — Paperless document filter names such as correspondent__id, tags__id__all, document_type__id, title_content, created__date__gte or query (full text); the filter form changes every matching document in one call, e.g. reassigning all documents from a duplicate correspondent before deleting it. Unknown filter keys are refused, and the result reports matched_documents. all=true is not supported for merge, split, delete_pages, edit_pdf or remove_password. Method remove_password strips a PDF password (needs `password`); with update_document=true the unlocked file is stored as a new version of the same document. Method reprocess accepts remote_ocr=true to use the configured remote OCR engine.post_documentUpload a new document file (PDF, image, etc.) to Paperless-NGX with optional metadata. Upload is asynchronous: by default returns a task UUID (use list_tasks to track consumer progress) — the actual document ID is assigned only after the consumer has processed the file. Set poll=true to wait for the consumer to finish and return the final result (the new document_id on success, or the consumer error on failure) in a single call. Optional metadata: title, created (date), correspondent, document_type, storage_path, tags, archive_serial_number, custom_fields.list_documentsList and filter documents by fields such as title, correspondent, document type, tag, storage path, creation date, and more. IMPORTANT: For queries like 'the last 3 contributions' or when searching by tag, correspondent, document type, or storage path, you should FIRST look up the correct ID — get_filing_options returns every tag, correspondent, document type and storage path in one call (or use list_tags / list_correspondents / list_document_types / list_storage_paths) — and then use that ID as a filter here. Only use the 'search' argument for free-text search when no specific field applies. Using the correct ID filter will yield much more accurate results. Note: Document content is excluded from results by default. Use 'get_document_content' to retrieve content when needed. To find near-duplicates of one document use more_like_id; to list everything Paperless has flagged as a duplicate use has_duplicates=true.get_documentGet a specific document by ID with full details including correspondent, document type, tags, and custom fields. Note: Document content is excluded from results by default. Use 'get_document_content' to retrieve content when needed. Documents can have several file versions (`versions`; manage them with upload_document_version / update_document_version / delete_document_version). Content (get_document_content) and get_document_metadata follow the LATEST version, but page_count, original_file_name and archived_file_name always describe the ROOT (first) version — e.g. after a password-protected PDF was unlocked into a new version, page_count stays null. Don't use page_count to judge whether a document is readable; check its content.get_document_contentGet the text content of a specific document by ID. Use this when you need to read or analyze the actual document text. For long documents, read a slice with max_chars (and offset to continue) — e.g. max_chars: 2000 is usually enough to identify a document. Paperless stores the text without page boundaries, so slices are by characters, not pages.search_documentsRanked full-text search through Paperless's search index (content, title and metadata). mode 'query' (default) takes advanced syntax — AND/OR/NOT, "quoted phrases", field:value, wildcards*; 'text' takes plain words with no syntax; 'title' searches titles only. The index is updated in the background and can lag behind or miss documents: if you expect matches but get none, use list_documents with `search`, which scans the database directly. For filtering by tag, correspondent, type or date use list_documents. Content is excluded from results; use get_document_content.download_documentDownload a document file by ID. Returns the document as a base64-encoded resource.get_document_thumbnailGet a document thumbnail (image preview) by ID. Returns the thumbnail as a base64-encoded WebP image resource.update_documentUpdate fields on ONE document (PATCH — only fields you supply are changed). To change tags, prefer add_tags / remove_tags: they leave the other tags alone. `tags` REPLACES the whole list — any tag you leave out is removed. Every tag change returns tag_changes {added, removed}. Editable fields: title, correspondent, document_type, storage_path, tags, add_tags, remove_tags, content (raw searchable text), created (document date, YYYY-MM-DD), archive_serial_number, owner, custom_fields. For applying the same change to MANY documents, see edit_documents_bulk. To add a comment/annotation rather than change a field, see create_document_note.email_documentSend a document via email to one or more recipients.get_document_historyGet the change history / audit log for a document, showing who changed what and when.get_document_previewGet a full-page preview image of a document. Returns the preview as a base64-encoded image resource.- +97 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.
Erd Editor
{
"mcpServers": {
"erd-editor": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@dineug/erd-editor-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Paperless Ngx
{
"mcpServers": {
"paperless-ngx-2": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"paperless-ngx-mcp"
],
"env": {
"PAPERLESS_URL": "YOUR_PAPERLESS_URL_HERE",
"PAPERLESS_API_KEY": "YOUR_PAPERLESS_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Erd Editor is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. Paperless Ngx belongs to Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Erd Editor for developer tools work and Paperless Ngx for developer tools.
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.
Erd Editor is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Paperless Ngx 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 erd-editor and paperless-ngx-2 as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Erd Editor has a quality signal of 71/100 (Great) with 1 views, 0 installs and 1,730 GitHub stars. Paperless Ngx has 65/100 (Great) with 0 views, 0 installs and 11 GitHub stars.