What is the key difference between Vault Knowledge and Shellward?

Vault Knowledge belongs to the Security category with local stdio execution, while Shellward belongs to the Security category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Vault Knowledge or Shellward 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 Vault Knowledge and Shellward free or paid?

Vault Knowledge operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Shellward operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Vault Knowledge lists 3 tools with 3 views and 0 GitHub stars. Shellward lists 6 tools with 3 views and 136 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Vault Knowledge and Shellward 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

Vault Knowledge vs Shellward

In-depth architectural comparison of the Vault Knowledge and Shellward 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

Vault Knowledge

Security · Local stdio

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

Shellward

Security · Local stdio

Quality: 56/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Vault Knowledge if you need specialized Security tools running via a local process. Choose Shellward if your workspace requires Security integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Vault Knowledge when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: VAULT_DB, VAULT_ROOT.
Primary tools included: search_concepts, find_contradictions, get_article.

Explore Vault Knowledge Details

Choose Shellward when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: SHELLWARD_MODE, SHELLWARD_LOCALE, SHELLWARD_THRESHOLD, SHELLWARD_BASELINE_PATH.
Primary tools included: Stdio MCP server with local execution, Prompt injection detection for Chinese and English text, PII, credential, and sensitive-data scanning.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Vault Knowledge Security	Shellward jnMetaCode Security
Summary	Read-only MCP over a vault's typed knowledge graph: concept search, contradictions, article fetch.	AI Agent Security Middleware & MCP Server with 8-layer defense including prompt injection detection, DLP data flow tracking, command blocking, and PII detection. 7 MCP tools, zero dependencies.
Category & Scope	Security

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Vault Knowledge Tools (3)

search_concepts

Semantically search the vault's concept, connection, and Q&A articles for a natural-language query. Returns ranked {slug, title, similarity_score, excerpt, last_modified}. Read-only.

find_contradictions

Traverse the typed reasoning graph for active 'contradicts' edges — the sharpest of six relation types. scope='all' or 'recent_30d'. Returns {from_slug, to_slug, confidence, surfaced_at, source_run_id}. Read-only.

get_article

Fetch one article by slug with frontmatter, body, and resolved inbound/outbound wikilinks. Reads only files under the configured knowledge allowlist. Read-only.

Shellward Tools (6)

Stdio MCP server with local execution

Prompt injection detection for Chinese and English text

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).

Vault Knowledge Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vault-knowledge": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@swins/vault-knowledge-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "VAULT_DB": "YOUR_VAULT_DB_HERE",
        "VAULT_ROOT": "YOUR_VAULT_ROOT_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Shellward Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jnmetacode-shellward": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "shellward"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SHELLWARD_MODE": "YOUR_SHELLWARD_MODE_HERE",
        "SHELLWARD_LOCALE": "YOUR_SHELLWARD_LOCALE_HERE",
        "SHELLWARD_THRESHOLD": "YOUR_SHELLWARD_THRESHOLD_HERE",
        "SHELLWARD_BASELINE_PATH": "YOUR_SHELLWARD_BASELINE_PATH_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Vault Knowledge is categorized under Security and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Shellward belongs to Security using local stdio subprocess. Select Vault Knowledge when you need capabilities focused on security and Shellward when you require tools for security.

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