Notes & knowledge / CONNECTION GUIDE

Obsidian MCP Servers for Claude Code & Cursor

The Local REST API plugin also provides an MCP endpoint for the open Obsidian vault.

Integration documentation

Obsidian integrations and connections

MCP · Live app

Obsidian Local REST API · MCP

The Local REST API plugin also provides an MCP endpoint for the open Obsidian vault.

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Claude Code · Documented

The maintainer documents Claude Code setup for this connection.

Codex · MCP compatible

MCP transport compatibility is inferred; this agent is not explicitly documented for this connection.

Cursor · Documented

The maintainer documents Cursor setup for this connection.

Requirements and limitations

Obsidian with the Local REST API community plugin installed and authenticated local access configured.

Access is limited to the configured vault and enabled plugin endpoints; authentication is required.

View setup Maintainer documentation

API · Live app

Obsidian Local REST API

The Obsidian Local REST API plugin exposes authenticated HTTP operations for vault notes and commands.

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Claude Code · Not documented

The native interface is documented, but no setup for this coding agent is established by this source.

Codex · Not documented

The native interface is documented, but no setup for this coding agent is established by this source.

Cursor · Not documented

The native interface is documented, but no setup for this coding agent is established by this source.

Requirements and limitations

Obsidian with the Local REST API plugin enabled and the client configured with its API key and endpoint.

HTTP access requires authentication and the running plugin; MCP client setup belongs to the separate MCP connection.

View setup Maintainer documentation

MCP · Files & library

Obsidian MCP Complete

A local-first MCP server for searching and editing Obsidian vault files.

Platforms: Not documented

Claude Code · Documented

The integration documentation explicitly names this client.

Codex · MCP compatible

MCP support suggests compatibility; this client is not documented by the maintainer.

Cursor · MCP compatible

MCP support suggests compatibility; this client is not documented by the maintainer.

Requirements and limitations

Node.js and a path to a local Obsidian vault.

The core tools read and write vault files directly; the optional REST bridge requires a separate plugin.

View setup Maintainer documentation

MCP · Files & library

Obsidian Sync MCP

A server for reading and editing an Obsidian vault through MCP.

Platforms: Not documented

Claude Code · MCP compatible

MCP support suggests compatibility; this client is not documented by the maintainer.

Codex · MCP compatible

MCP support suggests compatibility; this client is not documented by the maintainer.

Cursor · MCP compatible

MCP support suggests compatibility; this client is not documented by the maintainer.

Requirements and limitations

Node.js 22 or newer and an accessible vault folder; CouchDB is optional.

Filesystem mode edits vault files without requiring the Obsidian application; optional sync mode uses CouchDB.

View setup Maintainer documentation

MCP · Files & library

Obsidian MCP · lstpsche

A local vault server with MCP tools for searching and navigating Obsidian notes.

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Claude Code · MCP compatible

MCP support suggests compatibility; this client is not documented by the maintainer.

Codex · MCP compatible

MCP support suggests compatibility; this client is not documented by the maintainer.

Cursor · Documented

The integration documentation explicitly names this client.

Requirements and limitations

A local Obsidian vault and a compatible server binary.

The server operates on vault files; optional semantic search has additional dependencies.

View setup Maintainer documentation

MCP · Live app

VaultGate MCP

A local MCP server that delegates vault access to the running Obsidian application.

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Claude Code · Documented

The integration documentation explicitly names this client.

Codex · MCP compatible

MCP support suggests compatibility; this client is not documented by the maintainer.

Cursor · Documented

The integration documentation explicitly names this client.

Requirements and limitations

A running Obsidian instance and the VaultGate local server.

The npm server supports desktop platforms; the optional tray companion is macOS Apple Silicon only.

View setup Maintainer documentation

Compare connections

Compare how each route works, what it can do, and what you need to run it.

Connection	Workflow and platform	Capabilities	Documented agents	Requirements and limitations
Obsidian Local REST API · MCP MCP	Live app Windows, macOS, Linux	Read and update vault notes Search notes and invoke commands	Claude Code, Cursor	Obsidian with the Local REST API community plugin installed and authenticated local access configured. Access is limited to the configured vault and enabled plugin endpoints; authentication is required.
Obsidian Local REST API API	Live app Windows, macOS, Linux	Read, write and search vault notes Invoke Obsidian commands	See compatibility	Obsidian with the Local REST API plugin enabled and the client configured with its API key and endpoint. HTTP access requires authentication and the running plugin; MCP client setup belongs to the separate MCP connection.
Obsidian MCP Complete MCP	Files & library Not documented	Search and edit notes Navigate note links Manage tasks and frontmatter	Claude Code	Node.js and a path to a local Obsidian vault. The core tools read and write vault files directly; the optional REST bridge requires a separate plugin.
Obsidian Sync MCP MCP	Files & library Not documented	Search and edit notes Browse tags and folders Move and rename notes	See compatibility	Node.js 22 or newer and an accessible vault folder; CouchDB is optional. Filesystem mode edits vault files without requiring the Obsidian application; optional sync mode uses CouchDB.
Obsidian MCP · lstpsche MCP	Files & library Windows, macOS, Linux	Search vault notes Read and edit notes Navigate vault structure	Cursor	A local Obsidian vault and a compatible server binary. The server operates on vault files; optional semantic search has additional dependencies.
VaultGate MCP MCP	Live app Windows, macOS, Linux	Read and search notes Manage tasks Open notes in Obsidian	Claude Code, Cursor	A running Obsidian instance and the VaultGate local server. The npm server supports desktop platforms; the optional tray companion is macOS Apple Silicon only.

Obsidian Local REST API · MCP

How it works
MCP · Live app
Windows, macOS, Linux

Capabilities
Read and update vault notes · Search notes and invoke commands

Documented agents
Claude Code · Cursor

Requirements and limitations

Obsidian with the Local REST API community plugin installed and authenticated local access configured.

Access is limited to the configured vault and enabled plugin endpoints; authentication is required.

Obsidian Local REST API

How it works
API · Live app
Windows, macOS, Linux

Capabilities
Read, write and search vault notes · Invoke Obsidian commands

Documented agents
See compatibility

Requirements and limitations

Obsidian with the Local REST API plugin enabled and the client configured with its API key and endpoint.

HTTP access requires authentication and the running plugin; MCP client setup belongs to the separate MCP connection.

Obsidian MCP Complete

How it works
MCP · Files & library
Not documented

Capabilities
Search and edit notes · Navigate note links · Manage tasks and frontmatter

Documented agents
Claude Code

Requirements and limitations

Node.js and a path to a local Obsidian vault.

The core tools read and write vault files directly; the optional REST bridge requires a separate plugin.

Obsidian Sync MCP

How it works
MCP · Files & library
Not documented

Capabilities
Search and edit notes · Browse tags and folders · Move and rename notes

Documented agents
See compatibility

Requirements and limitations

Node.js 22 or newer and an accessible vault folder; CouchDB is optional.

Filesystem mode edits vault files without requiring the Obsidian application; optional sync mode uses CouchDB.

Obsidian MCP · lstpsche

How it works
MCP · Files & library
Windows, macOS, Linux

Capabilities
Search vault notes · Read and edit notes · Navigate vault structure

Documented agents
Cursor

Requirements and limitations

A local Obsidian vault and a compatible server binary.

The server operates on vault files; optional semantic search has additional dependencies.

VaultGate MCP

How it works
MCP · Live app
Windows, macOS, Linux

Capabilities
Read and search notes · Manage tasks · Open notes in Obsidian

Documented agents
Claude Code · Cursor

Requirements and limitations

A running Obsidian instance and the VaultGate local server.

The npm server supports desktop platforms; the optional tray companion is macOS Apple Silicon only.

Choose an AI agent

Claude Code + Obsidian

Codex: setup not listed in the integration documentation.

Cursor + Obsidian

Questions before setup

Does one integration cover every workflow?

No such claim is made. Check the capability list, requirements and limitations of each route, then test a copy of a representative project.