What is the key difference between MCP Zotero and Graphlit MCP Server?

MCP Zotero belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution, while Graphlit MCP Server belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution.

How do I install MCP Zotero or Graphlit MCP Server 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 MCP Zotero and Graphlit MCP Server free or paid?

MCP Zotero operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required). Graphlit MCP Server operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (other).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

MCP Zotero lists 5 tools with 4 views and 164 GitHub stars. Graphlit MCP Server lists 6 tools with 4 views and 380 GitHub stars.

Can I use both MCP Zotero and Graphlit MCP Server 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

MCP Zotero vs Graphlit MCP Server

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Zotero and Graphlit MCP Server 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

MCP Zotero

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 57/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Graphlit MCP Server

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 57/100 (Good) | Auth: other

Verdict Summary: Choose MCP Zotero if you need specialized Knowledge & Memory tools running via a local process. Choose Graphlit MCP Server 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 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 Graphlit MCP Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: other (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
You have access to required keys: GRAPHLIT_ENVIRONMENT_ID, GRAPHLIT_ORGANIZATION_ID, GRAPHLIT_JWT_SECRET.
Primary tools included: .

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Zotero kaliaboi Knowledge & Memory	Graphlit MCP Server Knowledge & Memory
Summary	A connector for LLMs to work with collections and sources on your Zotero Cloud	Ingest anything from Slack, Discord, websites, Google Drive, Linear or GitHub into a Graphlit project - and then search and retrieve relevant knowledge within an MCP client like Cursor, Windsurf or Cline.
Category & Scope	Knowledge & Memory

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

MCP Zotero Tools (5)

get_collections

List all collections in your library

get_collection_items

Get items in a specific collection

get_item_details

Get detailed information about a paper

search_library

Search your entire library

get_recent

Get recently added papers

Graphlit MCP Server Tools (6)

Multi-source content ingestion

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).

MCP Zotero Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "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"
      }
    }
  }
}

Graphlit MCP Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "graphlit-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "graphlit-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GRAPHLIT_ENVIRONMENT_ID": "YOUR_GRAPHLIT_ENVIRONMENT_ID_HERE",
        "GRAPHLIT_ORGANIZATION_ID": "YOUR_GRAPHLIT_ORGANIZATION_ID_HERE",
        "GRAPHLIT_JWT_SECRET": "YOUR_GRAPHLIT_JWT_SECRET_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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