What is the key difference between MCP Text Editor and Hledit MCP?

MCP Text Editor belongs to the File Systems category with local stdio execution, while Hledit MCP belongs to the File Systems category with local stdio execution.

How do I install MCP Text Editor or Hledit MCP 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 MCP Text Editor and Hledit MCP free or paid?

MCP Text Editor operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Hledit MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

MCP Text Editor lists 4 tools with 1 views and 199 GitHub stars. Hledit MCP lists 1 tools with 2 views and 1 GitHub stars.

Can I use both MCP Text Editor and Hledit MCP 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.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

MCP Text Editor vs Hledit MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Text Editor and Hledit MCP 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

MCP Text Editor

File Systems · Local stdio

Quality: 59/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Hledit MCP

File Systems · Local stdio

Quality: 57/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose MCP Text Editor if you need specialized File Systems tools running via a local process. Choose Hledit MCP if your workspace requires File Systems integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose MCP Text Editor when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the File Systems domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: file_path, start, end.

Explore MCP Text Editor Details

Choose Hledit MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the File Systems domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: HLEDIT_BIN, HLEDIT_CWD, HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF, HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF_MAX_LINES, HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF_CONTEXT, HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF_MAX_CELLS.
Primary tools included: hledit.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Text Editor tumf File Systems	Hledit MCP dabito File Systems
Summary
Category & Scope	File Systems	File Systems
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

MCP Text Editor Tools (4)

file_path

Absolute path to the text file

start

First line to read (1-based)

end

Last line to read (inclusive); `null` reads through end of file

encoding

File encoding for all requested files (default: `utf-8`)

Hledit MCP Tools (1)

hledit

Read, edit, or batch-edit files using hash-anchored line references (LN#HASH, currently LN#HHH). Use op:'read' to get anchors, op:'edit' for single changes, op:'batch' for multiple edits in one call. Anchors come from the most recent read and detect stale context before any write.

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).

MCP Text Editor Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tumf-mcp-text-editor": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-text-editor"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Hledit MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dabito-hledit-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "hledit-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "HLEDIT_BIN": "YOUR_HLEDIT_BIN_HERE",
        "HLEDIT_CWD": "YOUR_HLEDIT_CWD_HERE",
        "HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF": "YOUR_HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF_HERE",
        "HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF_MAX_LINES": "YOUR_HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF_MAX_LINES_HERE",
        "HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF_CONTEXT": "YOUR_HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF_CONTEXT_HERE",
        "HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF_MAX_CELLS": "YOUR_HLEDIT_MCP_DIFF_MAX_CELLS_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

MCP Text Editor is categorized under File Systems and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Hledit MCP belongs to File Systems using local stdio subprocess. Select MCP Text Editor when you need capabilities focused on file systems and Hledit MCP when you require tools for file systems.

More alternatives to MCP Text Editor More alternatives to Hledit MCP File Systems category hub Canonical compare URL