Screenpipe vs Smart Connections

In-depth architectural comparison of the Screenpipe and Smart Connections 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 Screenpipe when:

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

Explore Screenpipe Details

Choose Smart Connections when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: search_by_text, search_similar, search_by_embedding.

Explore Smart Connections Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Screenpipe Knowledge & Memory	Smart Connections Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Local-first workflow memory for AI agents. screenpipe lets MCP clients search selected screen, audio, app, and meeting context and turn real work into cited notes, SOPs, workflow reports, and automation candidates.	MCP server for Obsidian Smart Connections. Semantic search using your vault's embeddings.
Category & Scope	Knowledge & Memory

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": {
    "screenpipe": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "screenpipe"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

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