A side-by-side look at the Pdf4vllm and TruePath PDF MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Pdf4vllm for file systems work as a local process; choose TruePath PDF for file systems as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
list_pdfs, read_pdf, grep_pdf.get_info, extract_text, search.Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Systems | File Systems |
| Quality signal | 45/100 · Fair | 55/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 3 | 9 |
| Full listing | View Pdf4vllm | View TruePath PDF |
list_pdfsFind PDF files with glob filtering (`name_pattern`)read_pdfExtract PDF content as ordered blocksgrep_pdfSearch text in PDFs using pdfgrep (requires `pdfgrep` installed)get_infoPage count, first-page size (with an `allSameSize` flag), encryption status, and embedded PDF metadata (title, author, dates, producer, format version).extract_textPlain-text extraction. Optional 1-based page range (`"3"`, `"1-5"`, `"1,3,5-7"`). Output is grouped by page with `===== Page N =====` markers so the model can cite the right page.searchSubstring search across the whole document. Returns each hit's page, offset within the page, and a snippet of surrounding text. Use for grep-style discovery before a heavier `extract_text`.splitSplit one PDF into N by page ranges. Each range becomes one output file.mergeCombine two or more PDFs into one, in the given order.pagesDelete, rotate, and reorder pages in one pass. `delete` is applied first (page numbers in `rotate` refer to the source PDF); `reorder` is applied to the survivors.to_imagesRasterise PDF pages as PNG or JPG at a chosen DPI. Common DPIs: `96` (screen), `150` (print preview), `300` (print).extract_imagesPull embedded images out of a PDF and write each as a PNG. Reports any images skipped because of unsupported pixel layouts (CMYK, palettized, etc).open_in_truepathHand a local PDF to the TruePath PDF Mac app via `truepath://open?path=…`. Fire-and-forget: macOS launches (or routes to) the app, the URL handler opens the PDF. Use this after reading / analyzing in MCP to drop the user into the GUI for annotation, signing, redaction, etc.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.
{
"mcpServers": {
"pdf4vllm": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"pdf4vllm-mcp"
]
}
}
}
{
"mcpServers": {
"truepath-pdf": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@truepathpdf/mcp-server"
]
}
}
}