What is the key difference between MCP Obsidian and MCP Obsidian Via Rest?

MCP Obsidian belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution, while MCP Obsidian Via Rest belongs to the Knowledge & Memory category with local stdio execution.

How do I install MCP Obsidian or MCP Obsidian Via Rest 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 Obsidian and MCP Obsidian Via Rest free or paid?

MCP Obsidian operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required). MCP Obsidian Via Rest operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

MCP Obsidian lists 6 tools with 3 views and 4,462 GitHub stars. MCP Obsidian Via Rest lists 6 tools with 1 views and 13 GitHub stars.

Can I use both MCP Obsidian and MCP Obsidian Via Rest 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 Obsidian vs MCP Obsidian Via Rest

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Obsidian and MCP Obsidian Via Rest 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 Obsidian

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 52/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

MCP Obsidian Via Rest

Knowledge & Memory · Local stdio

Quality: 40/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose MCP Obsidian if you need specialized Knowledge & Memory tools running via a local process. Choose MCP Obsidian Via Rest 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 Obsidian 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: OBSIDIAN_API_KEY.
Primary tools included: List vault files and directories, Read individual note contents, Search text across vault files.

Explore MCP Obsidian Details

Choose MCP Obsidian Via Rest 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).
You have access to required keys: API_KEY, API_URLS, DEBUG, MCP_HTTP_PATH, OBSIDIAN_API_KEY.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Obsidian MarkusPfundstein Knowledge & Memory	MCP Obsidian Via Rest Knowledge & Memory
Summary	MCP server that interacts with Obsidian via the Obsidian rest API community plugin	MCP Server for Obsidian Vault Access via Local REST API
Category & Scope	Knowledge & Memory

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

MCP Obsidian Tools (6)

List vault files and directories

Read individual note contents

Search text across vault files

Insert or append note content

Delete vault files or directories

Target headings, block references, and frontmatter fields

MCP Obsidian Via Rest Tools (6)

Retrieve note content and metadata

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 Obsidian Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "markuspfundstein-mcp-obsidian": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-obsidian"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "YOUR_OBSIDIAN_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP Obsidian Via Rest Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-obsidian-via-rest": {
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@oleksandrkucherenko/mcp-obsidian"
      ],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE",
        "API_URLS": "YOUR_API_URLS_HERE",
        "DEBUG": "YOUR_DEBUG_HERE",
        "MCP_HTTP_PATH": "YOUR_MCP_HTTP_PATH_HERE",
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "YOUR_OBSIDIAN_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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

More alternatives to MCP Obsidian More alternatives to MCP Obsidian Via Rest Knowledge & Memory category hub