What is the key difference between Obsidian Semantic Search and Genai Toolbox?

Obsidian Semantic Search belongs to the Databases category with local stdio execution, while Genai Toolbox belongs to the Databases category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Obsidian Semantic Search or Genai Toolbox 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 Obsidian Semantic Search and Genai Toolbox free or paid?

Obsidian Semantic Search operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Genai Toolbox operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Obsidian Semantic Search lists 4 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Genai Toolbox lists 6 tools with 3 views and 16,141 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Obsidian Semantic Search and Genai Toolbox 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.

How do I install Obsidian Semantic Search or Genai Toolbox in Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf?

Both servers follow the standard Model Context Protocol configuration format. Simply copy the JSON block from the configuration section above and paste it into your AI client's mcpServers configuration object (for instance in claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json ), then completely restart or refresh the application.

Are Obsidian Semantic Search and Genai Toolbox free to use, or do they require API keys?

Obsidian Semantic Search is listed under a Free / Open Source model with No auth required . Genai Toolbox operates under a Free / Open Source model with API Key required . If environment variables are required (such as API keys), be sure to define them under the env key in your MCP client's configuration file.

Can I run both Obsidian Semantic Search and Genai Toolbox at the same time in my AI client?

Yes! MCP clients support multi-server orchestration. You can include both obsidian-semantic-search and googleapis-genai-toolbox as distinct keys inside the single mcpServers object in your configuration file. Your AI assistant will automatically select and call the appropriate tool from either server during chat sessions.

Which MCP server has higher directory engagement and quality ratings?

On AllMCPs, Obsidian Semantic Search has a Quality Score of 51 /100 ( Good ) with 0 views, 0 installs, and 0 GitHub stars. Genai Toolbox holds a Quality Score of 52 /100 ( Good ) with 3 views, 0 installs, and 16,141 GitHub stars.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Obsidian Semantic Search vs Genai Toolbox

In-depth architectural comparison of the Obsidian Semantic Search and Genai Toolbox 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

Obsidian Semantic Search

Databases · Local stdio

Quality: 51/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Genai Toolbox

Databases · Local stdio

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

Verdict Summary: Choose Obsidian Semantic Search if you need specialized Databases tools running via a local process. Choose Genai Toolbox if your workspace requires Databases integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Obsidian Semantic Search when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Databases domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: index_status, index_vault, search_notes.

Explore Obsidian Semantic Search Details

Choose Genai Toolbox when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Databases domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: DATABASE_URL, GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS, TOOLBOX_LOG_LEVEL, OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT, OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS.
Primary tools included: Prebuilt generic database tools for instant use, Custom tools framework for production-grade AI database tools, Supports structured queries, semantic search, and NL2SQL.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	O Obsidian Semantic Search Databases	Genai Toolbox googleapis Databases
Summary	Read-only semantic search MCP server for Obsidian vaults using local Ollama embeddings.	Open source MCP server specializing in easy, fast, and secure tools for Databases.
Category & Scope	Databases	Databases
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Obsidian Semantic Search Tools (4)

index_status

Returns index metadata and safety settings.

index_vault

Builds or updates the external SQLite index.

search_notes

Searches notes with hybrid semantic and keyword ranking.

read_note

Reads a note or line range by vault-relative path.

Genai Toolbox Tools (6)

Prebuilt generic database tools for instant use

Custom tools framework for production-grade AI database tools

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).

Obsidian Semantic Search Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian-semantic-search": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "--package"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Genai Toolbox Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "googleapis-genai-toolbox": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@toolbox-sdk/server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DATABASE_URL": "YOUR_DATABASE_URL_HERE",
        "GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS": "YOUR_GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS_HERE",
        "TOOLBOX_LOG_LEVEL": "YOUR_TOOLBOX_LOG_LEVEL_HERE",
        "OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT": "YOUR_OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT_HERE",
        "OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS": "YOUR_OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_HEADERS_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Obsidian Semantic Search is categorized under Databases and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Genai Toolbox belongs to Databases using local stdio subprocess. Select Obsidian Semantic Search when you need capabilities focused on databases and Genai Toolbox when you require tools for databases.

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