obsidian-mcp-server (cyanheads) vs mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API)

A side-by-side comparison of two Productivity servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	obsidian-mcp-server (cyanheads) Surgical Obsidian vault editing — read, write, search, and patch notes, tags, and frontmatter. Verified stdio (local) API key TypeScript	mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) Read, search, and edit your Obsidian vault through the Local REST API community plugin. Verified stdio (local) API key Python
Category	Productivity	Productivity
Language	TypeScript	Python
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	API key
GitHub stars	590	3.6k
Last commit	6 days ago	4 months ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y obsidian-mcp-server@latest`	`uvx mcp-obsidian`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick obsidian-mcp-server (cyanheads) if you need the broadest set of tools.

Pick mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Add obsidian-mcp-server (cyanheads)

Install / run

npx -y obsidian-mcp-server@latest

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian-mcp-server-cyanheads": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "obsidian-mcp-server@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "<your-obsidian-rest-api-key>",
        "OBSIDIAN_BASE_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:27123",
        "OBSIDIAN_VERIFY_SSL": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API)

Install / run

uvx mcp-obsidian

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-obsidian-obsidian-local-rest-api": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-obsidian"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_HOST": "127.0.0.1",
        "OBSIDIAN_PORT": "27124",
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "<your-obsidian-rest-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

FAQ

obsidian-mcp-server (cyanheads) or mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) — which is better?

Pick obsidian-mcp-server (cyanheads) if you need the broadest set of tools. Pick mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Can I use both obsidian-mcp-server (cyanheads) and mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API)?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do obsidian-mcp-server (cyanheads) and mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View obsidian-mcp-server (cyanheads) →View mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) →More comparisons →