Field-by-field comparison

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MCPs in this comparison

Citra (PDF Reader MCP)MCPVault for Obsidian

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Comparable alternatives

Azure MCP ServerMCP100 RecommendedChrome DevTools MCPMCP100 RecommendedContext7 MCPMCP100 RecommendedGrafana Cloud MCPMCP100 RecommendedGoogle MCP Toolbox for DatabasesMCP100 RecommendedPlaywright MCPMCP100 Recommended

Shown only when capability or industry context overlaps.

Side-by-side MCP evidence comparison
Evidence field	Citra (PDF Reader MCP)Shortlist candidate	MCPVault for ObsidianMCP100 Recommended
Task fit
Best for	Reading and searching PDFs with structured text and tables OCR or rendered PDF evidence with page and bounding-box citations	Obsidian users who want local search and supervised note maintenance Vaults protected by version control or reliable backups Users able to expose only a dedicated, bounded vault
Not ideal for	Editing, creating, signing, or rewriting PDF files, which are outside the documented three-tool surface Word, Excel, CSV, or general document workflows outside PDF	Unbacked-up personal knowledge bases Read-only research where a simpler filesystem search is sufficient Enterprise knowledge requiring centralized authorization and audit controls
Avoid when	The process can read sensitive PDF directories that have not been explicitly allowlisted You cannot review the Node and platform-native package chain before installation	The vault contains secrets, regulated data, or material that cannot reach the selected AI provider Write, move, and delete tools cannot be confirmed by a human The vault path cannot be narrowed to a dedicated directory
Provenance
Provenance details	First-party MCP SylphxAI · Publisher source ↗	Community implementation BitBonsai · Publisher source ↗
Maintenance
Maintenance details	Repo: Aug 8, 2026 Package: Aug 7, 2026	Repo: Sep 21, 2026 Package: Not documented
Popularity evidence
GitHub stars	891 GitHub stars · checked 2026-08-14T18:46:26.000Z	1,672 GitHub stars · checked 2026-09-24T04:14:39.538000Z
Shared-package downloads / 30 days	1,062 shared-package downloads / 30 days (not MCP-specific) · checked 2026-09-08	Not documented
Client coverage
Client coverage details	Claude Code✓ Local stdio Claude Desktop✓ Local stdio Codex✓ Local stdio VS Code✓ Local stdio Cursor✓ Local stdio OpenCode✓ Local stdio	Claude Code✓ Local stdio Claude Desktop✓ Local stdio Codex✓ Local stdio VS Code✓ Local stdio Cursor✓ Local stdio OpenCode✓ Local stdio
Client coverage note	Local stdio runs on your computer. Streamable HTTP connects to a remotely hosted MCP server.
Access and data
Authentication	Default stdio needs no service credential. Optional HTTP mode supports MCP_API_KEY and binds loopback by default; configured HTTP or OpenAI-compatible visual providers may use their own headers or API key, while local command providers do not inherently require one.	None at the local stdio layer.
Cost	The MIT-licensed local server has no documented usage fee. Pricing for any operator-selected external OCR, visual, network, or client provider is outside the Citra documentation and remains provider-specific.	MCPVault is MIT licensed and free to run locally. MCP-host, model, backup, and storage costs remain.
Permissions	The tools read PDF paths and URLs available to the process. Directory allowlists can restrict local reach; URL handling blocks private addresses by default unless the operator overrides it.	The server has filesystem read and write access within the supplied vault root, including note creation, overwrite or patch, frontmatter changes, moves, tags, and deletion. Operating-system permissions and the configured vault path are the primary boundary.
Data handling	Default stdio processing is local. Optional OCR or visual providers may receive rendered content according to their configuration, and URL inputs are fetched from their source.	Vault content and metadata are read locally and returned to the MCP client and model. Changes are written directly to local files. MCPVault states that it does not receive, store, or transmit vault data, while the selected AI provider still processes content sent by the client.
Limitations
Tradeoffs	Local-first PDF processing reduces routine cloud exposure, but optional OCR and visual providers introduce separate dependencies and data paths. The focused three-tool surface is easier to reason about than a general file server, but it deliberately does not cover document editing.	Local stdio avoids a hosted MCP service, but note contents still enter the MCP host and model context. Frontmatter-aware writes are more useful than generic file access but increase integrity risk. npx makes setup simple, while stricter environments may prefer a pinned and reviewed package version. Version 0.16.0 migrated to MCP TypeScript SDK v2 / protocol 2026-07-28 while retaining dual-era stdio compatibility.
Risk context	Use stdio, configure explicit allowed PDF directories, retain private-IP URL blocking, require an API key before any non-loopback HTTP deployment, and review native artifacts before installation.	A selected vault can contain a large body of private knowledge, and write tools can overwrite, move, or delete it. Use a dedicated vault, reliable backups or version control, an absolute path, a reviewed package version, and explicit approval for writes.
Evidence date
Editorial review	2026-08-14	2026-09-05
Candidate evidence	2026-08-14T18:46:26.000Z	2026-09-24T04:25:05.554391Z

Popularity, maintenance, fit, permissions, and client support are independent evidence fields.

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