Notes vs Penfield MCP
A side-by-side look at the Notes and Penfield MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Notes for knowledge & memory work over a hosted endpoint; choose Penfield MCP for knowledge & memory as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Notes when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
Choose Penfield MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: OAuth 2.0.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge & Memory | Knowledge & Memory |
| Quality signal | 37/100 · Fair | 49/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Remote HTTP/SSE | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | OAuth 2.0 |
| Pricing | Not declared | Free |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
Tools & capabilities
Notes tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
Penfield MCP tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from 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.
Notes
{
"mcpServers": {
"notes": {
"url": "https://notes.jpwilliams.dev/api/v1/mcp"
}
}
}
Penfield MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"penfieldlabs-penfield-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"mcp-remote"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Notes is categorized under Knowledge & Memory and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Penfield MCP belongs to Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Notes for knowledge & memory work and Penfield MCP for knowledge & memory.
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.
Notes has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Penfield MCP is listed as free. Auth: oauth 2.0. 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 notes and penfieldlabs-penfield-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Notes has a quality signal of 37/100 (Fair) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Penfield MCP has 49/100 (Fair) with 4 views, 0 installs and 6 GitHub stars.
