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Memory and knowledge · MCP server

Zettelkasten MCP: MCP server, setup and security

Zettelkasten MCP is an open-source MCP server that lets an AI agent create, link and search atomic notes using Zettelkasten knowledge management. Its repository has 167 stars and its last commit is from April 25, 2025 and it is licensed under MIT.

Inactive for over a year

What Zettelkasten MCP does

According to its repository: “Zettelkasten knowledge management: create, link and search atomic notes.”

An MCP server gives an AI agent extra tools it calls during the conversation: the agent reads their description, decides to use them and gets the result back. Zettelkasten MCP is listed under Memory and knowledge, a category of 250 servers in the directory, where it ranks #55 by stars.

Topics declared by the repository: claude, note-taking, zettelkasten, python, knowledge-graph, markdown.

Installing and connecting Zettelkasten MCP

No package or remote server is declared in the official MCP registry: you install it from source, following the repository README.

Like any MCP server, you declare it in your client's configuration (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex…): a name, the command that starts it or its URL, and any environment variables. The client then starts it and lists its tools. Project language: Python.

Security: what to check

An MCP server runs code with the rights you give it, and the model reads its tool descriptions: a malicious or compromised server can hijack the agent. Read the code, or pick a maintained and widely used server, before connecting it.

Points found for Zettelkasten MCP:

  • Maintenance: no commit for 18 months. Possible flaws and protocol changes are no longer tracked.

Good practice: grant only the rights needed (least privilege), require human approval for irreversible actions, and run the AI agent security check.

Project activity and maintenance

Created on April 1, 2025, the entanglr/zettelkasten-mcp repository has 167 stars and 32 forks, with 4 open issues. It has more stars than 75% of the servers in the directory. Last change 18 months ago.

Stars measure attention, not quality: a recent, heavily promoted project can collect them fast, while a useful but niche server will have few.

Context7Context7 : 63.6K63.6KHindsightHindsight : 53.4K53.4KCogneeCognee : 32.7K32.7KSkill SeekersSkill Seekers : 15.2K15.2KHonchoHoncho : 7.8K7.8KBasic memoryBasic memory : 4.3K4.3KNoteDiscoveryNoteDiscovery : 2.8K2.8KMemantoMemanto : 2.3K2.3KZettelkasten MCPZettelkasten MCP : 167167
GitHub stars of the most followed servers in the category (log scale); Zettelkasten MCP in orange. Checked October 25, 2026.

Verdict

Zettelkasten MCP is still a modest project: read its code and compare it with the alternatives before using it.

Strengths

  • Widely followed: 167 stars
  • Permissive licence (MIT)

Limitations

  • No commit for 18 months
  • Install from source

Avoid if…

  • Production use without reviewing the code

Frequently asked questions

How do I install Zettelkasten MCP?

No package is declared in the MCP registry: clone the entanglr/zettelkasten-mcp repository, follow its README, then declare the start command in your client's MCP configuration.

Is Zettelkasten MCP free?

The code is published under the MIT licence and can be used free of charge.

Is Zettelkasten MCP safe?

Points to watch: maintenance. Give it minimum rights and approve sensitive actions.

Is it an official server?

Nothing says so: it is a project published by entanglr on GitHub. Check who maintains it before giving it access.

What are the alternatives to Zettelkasten MCP?

In the same category: Context7, Basic memory, Hindsight, and Cognee. Context7 and Basic memory score higher on our grid.

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Neutrality. No affiliate links. No vendor pays to be reviewed, rated or ranked. Reviews are directed by François Chollet, neutral and factual, and every data point is dated and sourced. How we score