Everything File Search vs Filesystem MCP
A side-by-side look at the Everything File Search and Filesystem MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Everything File Search for file systems work as a local process; choose Filesystem MCP for file systems as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Everything File Search when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the File Systems domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
everything_search, everything_search_by_type, everything_find_recent.
Choose Filesystem MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the File Systems domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
list_roots, list, find_files.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Systems | File Systems |
| Quality signal | 65/100 · Great | 59/100 · Good |
| 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 | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 26 | 24 |
| Directory activity | 3 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 5 | 13 |
| Full listing | View Everything File Search | View Filesystem MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Everything File Search tools 5
everything_searchSearch for files and folders instantly using voidtools Everything. Leverages Everything's real-time NTFS index for sub-millisecond search across all local and mapped drives. Supports wildcards, regex, size/date filters, extension filters, and path restrictions.everything_search_by_typeSearch for files by type category. Categories: audio, video, image, document, code, archive, executable, font, 3d, data. Each maps to a curated list of file extensions.everything_find_recentFind files modified within a recent time period. Ideal for discovering what changed in a project, tracking recent downloads, finding today's log files, etc. Sorted newest-first.everything_file_detailsGet detailed metadata and optional content preview for specific files. Returns: full path, size, dates, type, permissions, hidden status. For directories: item count, subdirectories, file listing. For text files with preview_lines > 0: first N lines of content.everything_count_statsGet count and size statistics for files matching a query. Fast way to understand the scope of a query without listing every file. Optionally breaks down by extension for a high-level overview.
Filesystem MCP tools 13
list_rootsList allowed workspace roots. Call this first — all other tools scope to these.listList directory contents. Returns entries (dirs-first, alphabetical) and an ASCII tree.find_filesFind files by glob pattern (e.g. `**/*.ts`). Returns matching files with metadata.statGet file/directory metadata: size, modified time, permissions, MIME type, token estimate.search_textSearch file contents for text (grep-like). Returns matching lines with context.diffCompare two files and return a unified diff with added/removed line counts.readRead a text file. Supports head/tail and line ranges. Accepts `paths[]` for batches.createCreate one or more files, creating parent directories as needed. An existing file prompts the user to confirm the overwrite; `overwrite: true` on an entry skips the prompt, `append: true` adds to the end instead.editApply sequential literal string replacements to one or more files (up to 5 files per call, 100 edits per file).moveMove, rename, or copy (`copy: true`) one or more files/directories to explicit destinations.deletePermanently delete one or more files or directories. This action is irreversible.replace_textBulk search-and-replace across files matching a glob pattern.- +1 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.
Everything File Search
{
"mcpServers": {
"everything-file-search": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"everything-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Filesystem MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"filesystem-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@j0hanz/filesystem-mcp@latest"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Everything File Search is categorized under File Systems and uses a local stdio subprocess. Filesystem MCP belongs to File Systems and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Everything File Search for file systems work and Filesystem MCP for file systems.
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.
Everything File Search is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Filesystem 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 everything-file-search and filesystem-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Everything File Search has a quality signal of 65/100 (Great) with 3 views, 0 installs and 26 GitHub stars. Filesystem MCP has 59/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 24 GitHub stars.