Kibana vs Semiotic
A side-by-side look at the Kibana and Semiotic MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Kibana for data visualization work as a local process; choose Semiotic for data visualization as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Kibana when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Data Visualization domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
KIBANA_URL, KIBANA_API_KEY, KIBANA_USERNAME, KIBANA_PASSWORD, KIBANA_COOKIES. - You want tools like
get_status, execute_kb_api, search_kibana_api_paths.
Choose Semiotic when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Data Visualization domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
renderChart, renderInteractiveChart, getSchema.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Data Visualization | Data Visualization |
| Quality signal | 69/100 · Great | 71/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | API key required | No auth required |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Required env vars | KIBANA_URLKIBANA_API_KEYKIBANA_USERNAMEKIBANA_PASSWORDKIBANA_COOKIES | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 84 | 2,716 |
| Directory activity | 4 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 6 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 16 | 18 |
| Full listing | View Kibana | View Semiotic |
Tools & capabilities
Kibana tools 16
get_statusGet Kibana server status with multi-space supportexecute_kb_apiExecute a custom API request for Kibana with multi-space support. RETRY SAFETY: this tool can reach any write endpoint. A POST retried after a timeout or dropped response can create a duplicate — prefer a caller-chosen stable id (or the vl_* tool for that object type, which documents the safe pattern) over letting the server auto-generate one.search_kibana_api_pathsSearch Kibana API endpoints by keywordlist_all_kibana_api_pathsList all Kibana API endpoints as a resource listget_kibana_api_detailGet details for a specific Kibana API endpointget_available_spacesGet all available Kibana spaces with current contextvl_search_saved_objectsSearch for Kibana saved objects using Elasticsearch query syntax. This is a universal tool that can search across all saved object types (dashboard, visualization, index-pattern, search, config, lens, map, tag, canvas-workpad, canvas-element, etc.). IMPORTANT: You must specify the 'types' parameter - it is required by the Kibana API. PERFORMANCE TIPS: Always use 'fields' parameter to specify only needed fields (e.g., ['title', 'description']) for faster responses. Use 'perPage' 5-20 for optimal speed. PAGINATION: To get all results, make multiple requests with incrementing 'page' numbers (page=1, page=2, etc.) until you receive fewer results than 'perPage'. Don't stop at the first page - iterate through all pages for complete data. Returns formatted saved object information including type, title, description, and timestamps.vl_get_saved_objectGet a single Kibana saved object by type and ID. This is a universal tool that can retrieve any type of saved object (dashboard, visualization, index-pattern, search, config, lens, map, tag, canvas-workpad, canvas-element, etc.) by its exact type and ID. Use this when you know the specific object you want to retrieve. PERFORMANCE: This is much faster than searching when you have the exact type and ID.vl_bulk_delete_saved_objectsBulk delete multiple Kibana saved objects by type and ID. This is a destructive operation that permanently removes saved objects (dashboard, visualization, index-pattern, search, config, lens, map, tag, canvas-workpad, canvas-element, etc.). WARNING: Deleted objects cannot be recovered. Use with caution. IMPORTANT: Objects that exist in multiple namespaces require the 'force' parameter to be deleted.vl_create_saved_objectCreate a new Kibana saved object (dashboard, visualization, index-pattern, search, config, lens, map, tag, canvas-workpad, canvas-element, etc.). This is a universal tool that can create any type of saved object by specifying the type and attributes. Each object type has specific attribute requirements. IMPORTANT: The 'title' field is required for most object types. Complex fields like panelsJSON, visState should be JSON strings.vl_update_saved_objectUpdate a single Kibana saved object by type and ID. This performs a partial update - only the specified attributes will be changed, other attributes remain unchanged. Supports all saved object types (dashboard, visualization, index-pattern, search, config, lens, map, tag, canvas-workpad, canvas-element, etc.). IMPORTANT: Use version parameter for optimistic concurrency control to prevent conflicts.vl_bulk_update_saved_objectsUpdate multiple Kibana saved objects in a single operation. Each object can be of different types and will be partially updated (only specified attributes changed). Supports all saved object types (dashboard, visualization, index-pattern, search, config, lens, map, tag, canvas-workpad, canvas-element, etc.). PERFORMANCE: More efficient than multiple single updates. Each object can have individual version control.- +4 more on the listing page
Semiotic tools 18
renderChartRender a Semiotic chart to static SVG. Supports the components returned by `getSchema` that are marked `[renderable]`. Pass `{ component: "LineChart", props: { data: [...], xAccessor: "x", yAccessor: "y" } }`. Returns SVG string plus a "Render evidence" JSON block (mark counts by scene type, resolv…renderInteractiveChartRender a static-data chart as a ChatGPT Apps widget. Uses the same Semiotic server render path as `renderChart`, then hydrates an iframe UI with fit, zoom, data, hover, and render-evidence controls.getSchemaReturn the prop schema for a specific component. Pass `{ component: "LineChart" }` to get its props, or omit `component` to list the complete schema-backed catalog. Components marked `[renderable]` are available through `renderChart`; realtime charts require a browser/live environment.suggestChartSample-row recommender. Pass `{ data: [{...}, ...] }` with 1–5 sample objects plus optional broad intent/capability filters.suggestChartsCapability-based recommender for bounded row data. Returns ranked chart suggestions with scores, reasons, caveats, import paths, and ready-to-use props.suggestStreamChartsRecommend streaming charts from a schema (shape, key, throughput). Returns `{ suggestions, excluded, stretchSuggestions }`.suggestStreamDashboardCompose a multi-panel dashboard from stream schemas and an audience layout policy.suggestDashboardBuild a multi-panel dashboard suggestion that covers distinct analytical intents.suggestStretchChartsRecommend audience-literacy stretch picks from an `AudienceProfile`.repairChartConfigCheck whether a requested chart fits a dataset and return ranked alternatives when it does not.interrogateChartReturn a statistical summary and chart-aware context for answering natural-language questions with optional annotations.diagnoseConfigCheck a chart configuration for common problems — empty data, bad dimensions, missing accessors, wrong data shape, and more. Returns a human-readable diagnostic report with actionable fixes.- +6 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.
Kibana
{
"mcpServers": {
"kibana": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@tocharianou/mcp-server-kibana"
],
"env": {
"KIBANA_URL": "YOUR_KIBANA_URL_HERE",
"KIBANA_API_KEY": "YOUR_KIBANA_API_KEY_HERE",
"KIBANA_USERNAME": "YOUR_KIBANA_USERNAME_HERE",
"KIBANA_PASSWORD": "YOUR_KIBANA_PASSWORD_HERE",
"KIBANA_COOKIES": "YOUR_KIBANA_COOKIES_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Semiotic
{
"mcpServers": {
"nteract-semiotic": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"-p",
"semiotic",
"semiotic-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Kibana is categorized under Data Visualization and uses a local stdio subprocess. Semiotic belongs to Data Visualization and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Kibana for data visualization work and Semiotic for data visualization.
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.
Kibana is listed as free. Auth: api key required. Semiotic is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. 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 kibana and nteract-semiotic as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Kibana has a quality signal of 69/100 (Great) with 4 views, 0 installs and 84 GitHub stars. Semiotic has 71/100 (Great) with 6 views, 0 installs and 2,716 GitHub stars.