A side-by-side look at the Markmap MCP Server and PaperBanana MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Markmap MCP Server for data visualization work as a local process; choose PaperBanana for data visualization as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
markdown_to_mindmap, list_mindmaps, get_mindmap.OPENAI_API_KEY, GOOGLE_API_KEY, OPENAI_BASE_URL, GOOGLE_BASE_URL, GOOGLE_VLM_MODEL, GOOGLE_IMAGE_MODEL.Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Data Visualization | Data Visualization |
| Quality signal | 67/100 · Great | 47/100 · Fair |
| 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 | OPENAI_API_KEYGOOGLE_API_KEYOPENAI_BASE_URLGOOGLE_BASE_URLGOOGLE_VLM_MODELGOOGLE_IMAGE_MODEL |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 289 | 2,390 |
| Directory activity | 3 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 4 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View Markmap MCP Server | View PaperBanana |
markdown_to_mindmapConvert structured Markdown (headings # and nested lists -) into an interactive mind map HTML file, with optional server-side PNG/JPG/SVG export.
Use when the user wants a visual mind map/outline of structured content (architecture, plans, notes, hierarchies), or asks to visualize / mindmap / diagram. Do not use for flat unstructured text (restructure first), or to list/read existing outputs (use list_mindmaps / get_mindmap).
Behavior:
- WRITES files under the configured output dir. HTML is always written; image formats write an extra file. Reusing filename overwrites.
- html is fast (<1s). png/svg/jpg launch headless Chromium via Playwright (5–15s; requires: npm install playwright && npx playwright install chromium).
- Local only — no external APIs or third-party keys. Open mode=never: The server never opens the browser.
- Offline=false (server config).
Response:
- JSON {"htmlFilePath":"<path>","filePath":"<path>"} — htmlFilePath is always the HTML source; filePath is the primary artifact (HTML or image).
- Return mode=path: Paths JSON only — no inline content.
- Errors: isError:true with {"error","message"}.list_mindmapsList markmap* files (html/png/jpg/jpeg/svg) in the output directory, newest first. Read-only — no side effects. Missing/empty dirs return {"files":[]}.
Returns: {"outputDir","files":[{"name","filePath","size","mtimeMs","mtime"}]} (mtime is ISO 8601).
Use before get_mindmap to discover paths, or before cleanup_mindmaps to preview targets. Not for generating new mind maps (use markdown_to_mindmap).get_mindmapRetrieve a generated mind map file by absolute path. Read-only — no side effects. Only paths inside the configured output directory are allowed (path traversal denied).
Returns JSON {"filePath","mimeType","size"}. For text/html or image/svg+xml under 200KB, also appends a text content block. PNG/JPG return metadata only (no image block) — re-export via markdown_to_mindmap with format=png|jpg if the agent needs pixels.
On error: isError:true with {"error":"Failed to retrieve mind map","message"}.
Use list_mindmaps first to obtain a valid filePath. Prefer this over regenerating when the file already exists.cleanup_mindmapsPermanently delete markmap* files from the output directory. DESTRUCTIVE and irreversible when dryRun is false.
dryRun defaults to false — omitting it WILL delete. Always call once with dryRun=true to preview, then again with dryRun=false to commit. Prefer list_mindmaps beforehand.
Returns {"deleted":["<path>",...],"kept":<n>}; dryRun responses also include dryRun:true and do not delete.
Use instead of manual file deletion when pruning old generated mind maps.No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
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.
{
"mcpServers": {
"jinzcdev-markmap-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@jinzcdev/markmap-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}
{
"mcpServers": {
"paperbanana": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"paperbanana"
],
"env": {
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY_HERE",
"GOOGLE_API_KEY": "YOUR_GOOGLE_API_KEY_HERE",
"OPENAI_BASE_URL": "YOUR_OPENAI_BASE_URL_HERE",
"GOOGLE_BASE_URL": "YOUR_GOOGLE_BASE_URL_HERE",
"GOOGLE_VLM_MODEL": "YOUR_GOOGLE_VLM_MODEL_HERE",
"GOOGLE_IMAGE_MODEL": "YOUR_GOOGLE_IMAGE_MODEL_HERE"
}
}
}
}