Open Notebook vs SMTP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Open Notebook and SMTP 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.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Open Notebook when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: search_capabilities.

Explore Open Notebook Details

Choose SMTP when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore SMTP Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Open Notebook Developer Tools	SMTP Developer Tools
Summary	MCP server that wraps the Open Notebook API	MCP server that sends mail over SMTP, gated behind an allowlist and a human confirmation
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

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).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "open-notebook": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/inspector"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "smtp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@ni-c/smtp-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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