mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) vs Notion MCP Server (official)

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

	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	Notion MCP Server (official) Official Notion server to read, search, create, and update pages and databases in your workspace. Verified stdio (local) API key TypeScript
Category	Productivity	Productivity
Language	Python	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	API key	API key
GitHub stars	3.6k	3.9k
Last commit	4 months ago	4 months ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`uvx mcp-obsidian`	`npx -y @notionhq/notion-mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) if you prefer its approach (read, search, and edit your obsidian vault through the local rest api community plugin).

Pick Notion MCP Server (official) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server.

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.

Add Notion MCP Server (official)

Install / run

npx -y @notionhq/notion-mcp-server

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "notion-mcp-server-official": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@notionhq/notion-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "NOTION_TOKEN": "<your-notion-integration-token>"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) or Notion MCP Server (official) — which is better?

Pick mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) if you prefer its approach (read, search, and edit your obsidian vault through the local rest api community plugin). Pick Notion MCP Server (official) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server.

Can I use both mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) and Notion MCP Server (official)?

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 mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) and Notion MCP Server (official) work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View mcp-obsidian (Obsidian Local REST API) →View Notion MCP Server (official) →More comparisons →