Obsidian Sync MCP vs MCP Obsidian
A side-by-side look at the Obsidian Sync MCP and MCP Obsidian MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Obsidian Sync MCP for knowledge & memory work as a local process; choose MCP Obsidian 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 Obsidian Sync MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
VAULT_PATH, VAULT_NAME, COUCHDB_URL, COUCHDB_USER, COUCHDB_PASSWORD, COUCHDB_DATABASE, COUCHDB_PASSPHRASE, MCP_AUTH_TOKEN. - You want tools like
read_note, write_note, edit_note.
Choose MCP Obsidian when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
read_note, write_note, patch_note.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Knowledge & Memory | Knowledge & Memory |
| Quality signal | 63/100 · Good | 73/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | No auth required |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Required env vars | VAULT_PATHVAULT_NAMECOUCHDB_URLCOUCHDB_USERCOUCHDB_PASSWORDCOUCHDB_DATABASECOUCHDB_PASSPHRASEMCP_AUTH_TOKEN | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 65 | 1,702 |
| Directory activity | 5 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 11 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 10 | 18 |
| Full listing | View Obsidian Sync MCP | View MCP Obsidian |
Tools & capabilities
Obsidian Sync MCP tools 10
read_noteRead a note's markdown content by pathwrite_noteCreate or overwrite a note (replaces entire content)edit_noteEdit a note without rewriting it — append, prepend (after frontmatter), or replace exact textlist_foldersList all folders in the vault with note counts — use to discover folder nameslist_tagsList all tags in the vault with counts — use to discover tags before filteringlist_notesList notes with timestamps. Filter by folder, name, tag, or date. Sort by name or modified.search_notesSearch note text for terms (OR, case-insensitive substrings); paths and frontmatter titles are searched first. Filter by folder, tag, or date. Returns paths with one context line each, never the note body, after a status line that states which CouchDB sequence the index is caught up with.delete_noteDelete a notemove_noteMove or rename a note — works across folders, creates destination folders automaticallyget_note_metadataGet frontmatter, tags, outgoing links, backlinks, size, and timestamps — navigate the knowledge graph
MCP Obsidian tools 18
read_noteRead a note from the Obsidian vaultwrite_noteWrite a note to the Obsidian vaultpatch_noteEfficiently update part of a note by replacing a specific string. This is more efficient than rewriting the entire note for small changes.list_directoryList files and directories in the vault (includes non-note filenames, while read/write tools remain note-only)delete_noteDelete a note from the Obsidian vault (requires confirmation). Supports permanent delete, vault trash, or system trash.search_notesSearch for notes in the vault by content or frontmattermove_noteMove or rename a note in the vaultmove_fileMove or rename any file in the vault (binary-safe, file-only, requires confirmation)read_multiple_notesRead multiple notes in a batch (max 10 files)update_frontmatterUpdate frontmatter of a note without changing contentget_notes_infoGet metadata for notes without reading full contentget_frontmatterExtract frontmatter from a note without reading the content- +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.
Obsidian Sync MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"obsidian-sync-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"obsidian-sync-mcp"
],
"env": {
"VAULT_PATH": "YOUR_VAULT_PATH_HERE",
"VAULT_NAME": "YOUR_VAULT_NAME_HERE",
"COUCHDB_URL": "YOUR_COUCHDB_URL_HERE",
"COUCHDB_USER": "YOUR_COUCHDB_USER_HERE",
"COUCHDB_PASSWORD": "YOUR_COUCHDB_PASSWORD_HERE",
"COUCHDB_DATABASE": "YOUR_COUCHDB_DATABASE_HERE",
"COUCHDB_PASSPHRASE": "YOUR_COUCHDB_PASSPHRASE_HERE",
"MCP_AUTH_TOKEN": "YOUR_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN_HERE"
}
}
}
}
MCP Obsidian
{
"mcpServers": {
"bitbonsai-mcp-obsidian": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@bitbonsai/mcpvault@latest"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Obsidian Sync MCP is categorized under Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. MCP Obsidian belongs to Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Obsidian Sync MCP for knowledge & memory work and MCP Obsidian 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.
Obsidian Sync MCP is listed as free. MCP Obsidian 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 obsidian-sync-mcp and bitbonsai-mcp-obsidian as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Obsidian Sync MCP has a quality signal of 63/100 (Good) with 5 views, 0 installs and 65 GitHub stars. MCP Obsidian has 73/100 (Great) with 11 views, 0 installs and 1,702 GitHub stars.