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Obsidian MCP servers: which one to use

No server comes from Obsidian. Use obsidian-mcp if Obsidian can stay closed, or cyanheads or Semantic Notes Vault MCP when you want a read-only switch.

Servers
127
active
Hosted
3
nothing to install
Local
68
runs on your machine

None of these servers is made by Obsidian, so pick by how you work. obsidian-mcp reads your vault files directly, so Obsidian can stay closed. The others talk to a plugin inside Obsidian and need an API key from it. The popular MCP Tools for Obsidian plugin is archived, so skip it for new setups.

Good for

  • People who want Claude to search and summarize their notes
  • Writers who want an assistant to add to daily notes and edit one heading at a time
  • Anyone who wants an assistant to read a vault but not change it
  • Users who keep several vaults and want one server for all of them

Which Obsidian MCP server to use

Use obsidian-mcp if you want Obsidian closed and no API key. Pick cyanheads or Semantic Notes Vault MCP when you want a setting that blocks writes. mcp-obsidian has the most stars but no read-only setting in its README.

ServerRunsNeeds Obsidian openSign-inRead-only optionToolsGitHub stars
obsidian-mcpLocalNoNo sign-in–12749
mcp-obsidianLocalYesAPI key–74.5K
cyanheads obsidianLocalYesAPI keySetting14698
Semantic Notes VaultLocalYesAPI keySetting8468

All Obsidian MCP servers

127 active · official first, then by GitHub stars

Show all 127

Questions

Is there an official Obsidian MCP server?

No. All of these are built by community developers, not by Obsidian.

Which Obsidian MCP server should I use?

Use obsidian-mcp if you want the simplest setup: it reads your vault files, needs no API key and works with Obsidian closed. Use cyanheads if you want read-only and folder limits.

Does Obsidian have to be open?

Not for obsidian-mcp, which works on the Markdown files directly. The others use the Local REST API plugin or run inside Obsidian, so the app must be open.

Do I need an API key?

For mcp-obsidian and cyanheads, yes. You copy the key from the Local REST API community plugin in Obsidian. Semantic Notes Vault MCP shows its own key in its settings tab. obsidian-mcp needs none.

Can I make the server read-only?

Yes, with cyanheads (set OBSIDIAN_READ_ONLY) or Semantic Notes Vault MCP, which has a read-only mode. cyanheads can also limit reads and writes to certain folders.

Can it delete my notes?

Yes. mcp-obsidian and cyanheads can delete notes. obsidian-mcp moves deleted notes to a trash folder by default and needs a confirmation to delete for good. Back up your vault either way.

Is MCP Tools for Obsidian still safe to use?

It is archived and its author says he stepped away from it. It no longer gets updates, so pick one of the maintained servers for a new setup.

Which Obsidian MCP server works with several vaults?

obsidian-mcp. You pass a --vault option once per vault, up to ten vaults. It lists vault ids to the assistant without showing file paths.

Can Claude use my Obsidian vault without a plugin?

Yes, with obsidian-mcp. It only needs Node.js 22 or newer and the path to your vault, which must contain an .obsidian folder.

How do I add an Obsidian server to Claude Desktop?

Open the server's page from the table and follow its install box. cyanheads and Semantic Notes Vault MCP also ship a one-click bundle for Claude Desktop.

Server facts from the official MCP registry, GitHub, npm, PyPI and the Docker catalog. Archived servers are not listed.