MCP Zotero vs Openzim MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Zotero and Openzim MCP 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.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose MCP Zotero 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: ZOTERO_API_KEY, ZOTERO_USER_ID.
• Primary tools included: get_collections, get_collection_items, get_item_details.

Explore MCP Zotero Details

Choose Openzim 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).
• Primary tools included: Simple natural-language query mode, Eight specialized archive tools, Full-text search with suggestions.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Zotero kaliaboi Knowledge & Memory	Openzim MCP cameronrye Knowledge & Memory
Summary	A connector for LLMs to work with collections and sources on your Zotero Cloud	Modern, secure MCP server for accessing ZIM format knowledge bases offline. Enables AI models to search and navigate Wikipedia, educational content, and other compressed knowledge archives with smart retrieval, caching, and comprehensive API.
Category & Scope	Knowledge & Memory

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

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).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kaliaboi-mcp-zotero": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-zotero"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_API_KEY": "YOUR_ZOTERO_API_KEY_HERE",
        "ZOTERO_USER_ID": "YOUR_ZOTERO_USER_ID_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cameronrye-openzim-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "openzim-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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