Zotero MCP vs Zotero MCP Local

In-depth architectural comparison of the Zotero MCP and Zotero MCP Local 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 Zotero MCP 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 Zotero MCP Details

Z

Choose Zotero MCP Local 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 Zotero MCP Local Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Zotero MCP Knowledge & Memory	Z Zotero MCP Local Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Search your Zotero library, retrieve item metadata, and read full text from AI assistants.	Search, read PDFs, and find related papers in your local Zotero library. Read-only, 100% local.
Category & Scope	Knowledge & Memory	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": {
    "zotero-mcp-2": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/inspector"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zotero-mcp-local": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "zotero-mcp-local"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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