Obsidian MCP server: hosted or local?
Most Obsidian MCP servers run on your own computer. Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor can use them, but claude.ai, the Claude mobile apps and ChatGPT can’t reach them. Shard Connector is hosted and reads your vault through Obsidian Sync, so it also works on the web, on your phone and in ChatGPT.
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How each one connects
An MCP server gives your AI client tools to search, read and edit your notes. Where that server runs decides which clients can reach it.
Local
The Local REST API plugin runs an MCP server inside Obsidian at https://127.0.0.1:27124/mcp/. Other local servers, such as mcp-obsidian, talk to that plugin or read the vault folder directly. Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor reach them locally, so your computer has to stay on and Obsidian usually has to be open.
claude.ai, the Claude mobile apps and ChatGPT connect to MCP servers from their own cloud, not from your device. To them, 127.0.0.1 is their own machine, so a server on your computer is out of reach. Self-hosting solves that: you run your own always-on server with HTTPS and OAuth sign-in.
Hosted
Shard Connector runs a private server for your account and keeps your vault in sync through Obsidian Sync. Every client connects with the same URL and a Google sign-in, so it works on the web, on your phone and in ChatGPT. Edits show up in Obsidian on your devices after the next sync, and your computer doesn’t need to stay on.
Your AI client can search, read, write and edit notes, make folders, and move notes to a Trash/ folder. It can’t delete anything for good, see your other vaults or .obsidian, or open images and PDFs. Your Obsidian password is exchanged for a sign-in token and never stored.
The options compared
| Local REST API plugin | Local servers | Self-hosted | Shard Connector | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian open | Yes | Usually | No | No |
| claude.ai, Claude mobile, ChatGPT | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Setup | Plugin and API key | Node or Python, config file | Server, domain, TLS, OAuth | Sign in, paste a URL |
| Cost | Free | Free | Your server | $2.99 a month, plus Obsidian Sync |
Local: mcp-obsidian, obsidian-mcp-server. Self-hosted: obsidian-remote-mcp, Obsidian-Hosted-Mcp.
Which to pick
Pick a local server if:
- You want maximum security.
- You only use AI on the machine with your vault.
- You don’t use Obsidian Sync.
Pick Shard Connector if:
- You use claude.ai, the Claude mobile apps or ChatGPT.
- You work on more than one computer.
- You don’t want to install or run anything.
Shard Connector is $2.99 a month after a 5-day free trial. Setup guides: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Grok Bot and Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code and Codex.
Questions
Is there an official Obsidian MCP server?
No. They’re all community projects, including the one built into the Local REST API plugin.
Can claude.ai or ChatGPT use a local Obsidian MCP server?
No. They connect from the cloud and can’t reach 127.0.0.1, so the server needs a public HTTPS address.
Does Shard Connector need Obsidian open?
No, but it needs Obsidian Sync.
Do local servers need Obsidian Sync?
No. They read the vault folder on your computer, however you sync it.
Local, but with claude.ai and ChatGPT
If you want a local server and still want claude.ai, ChatGPT, Perplexity or Grok, try Warplet, a Mac app from the same team. It gives a local MCP server, such as the Local REST API plugin, a secure URL those clients can connect to. Your vault stays on your Mac and end-to-end encryption stays intact, but the Mac has to stay awake, online and running Obsidian. See Use Obsidian with any AI client.