# Zotero MCP review

> Zotero MCP connects your Zotero research library to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Codex and other AI assistants through the Model Context Protocol.

Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026. Canonical page: https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/54yyyu-zotero-mcp/

## TL;DR

Zotero MCP is a Python package that lets AI assistants search, read, cite, annotate and add to your Zotero library. It is for researchers who use Claude, ChatGPT, Codex or Cursor. One package ships three routes: an MCP server, a zotero-cli agent skill for shell agents, and Zotero Agent, a chat panel inside Zotero.

## Zotero MCP at a glance

- **Category:** [MCP and agent tools](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/categories/mcp-servers/)
- **Maintained by:** Steven Yu (individual, [@54yyyu](https://github.com/54yyyu) on GitHub)
- **License:** MIT
- **Language:** Python, TypeScript, JavaScript
- **Repository:** [github.com/54yyyu/zotero-mcp](https://github.com/54yyyu/zotero-mcp)
- **Website:** [stevenyuyy.com/zotero-mcp](https://stevenyuyy.com/zotero-mcp/)
- **PyPI package:** [zotero-mcp-server](https://pypi.org/project/zotero-mcp-server/) 0.15.1
- **Latest release:** [v0.15.1](https://github.com/54yyyu/zotero-mcp/releases/tag/v0.15.1) on GitHub, Oct 16, 2026
- **First published:** Mar 22, 2025

## What Zotero MCP does

- Zotero MCP searches your library by title, author, tag, collection, full text, or meaning, using local, OpenAI, Gemini, or Ollama embeddings.
- Zotero MCP reads metadata, BibTeX, full text and PDF page ranges, with page images where text extraction garbles math, figures, and tables.
- Zotero MCP places highlights and area boxes on exact words, figures, tables, or equations, adds notes, and extracts PDF annotations.
- Zotero MCP adds papers by DOI, URL, ISBN, BibTeX, or file, manages collections and tags, and merges duplicates.
- Zotero MCP tries open-access PDF sources when adding a paper by DOI, including repository copies listed by OpenAlex.
- Zotero MCP can show optional Scite citation tallies and retraction alerts.
- Zotero Agent adds a chat panel inside Zotero that knows the open item, page and selection, and links answers to PDF pages.

### How it works

Zotero MCP runs as an MCP server for chat apps without a shell, or as zotero-cli driven by an agent skill for shell agents. In local mode it reads from zotero.sqlite and writes through the running Zotero 10+; it can also use the Zotero web API. Zotero Agent is a Zotero plugin driven by your own Claude Code, Codex or pi.

## How to install Zotero MCP

**With uv**

```
uv tool install zotero-mcp-server
```

**With pip**

```
pip install zotero-mcp-server
```

**With semantic search extra**

```
pip install "zotero-mcp-server[semantic]"
```

### Requirements

- Python 3.10 or later
- Zotero 7+ with the local API enabled
- Local writes need Zotero 10+; older versions need ZOTERO_API_KEY and ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID for web API writes
- Zotero Agent needs your own Claude Code, Codex or pi

### First steps

1. In Zotero 7+, open Settings → Advanced and enable letting other applications on this computer communicate with Zotero.
2. Run zotero-mcp setup to auto-configure Claude Desktop.
3. For shell agents like Claude Code, Codex or Cursor, run zotero-mcp install-skill instead.
4. For writes on Zotero 10+, run zotero-mcp authorize-local once and choose Always Allow.

## Who Zotero MCP is for

- Researchers who want to discuss, summarize and cite papers from their Zotero library in Claude or ChatGPT
- Developers using shell agents like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or Gemini CLI who want low context cost
- Readers who want an AI chat panel next to the PDF open in Zotero

### Limitations

- Zotero MCP's MCP server default profile adds about 16,815 tokens of tool schemas to every request; the agent skill route avoids this.
- Zotero MCP needs extras for semantic search, PDF page images, and Scite data; the base install omits them.
- Zotero Agent's Windows support is new, and translating with pi is not yet available on Windows.
- Zotero MCP's Zotero Agent plugin is AGPL-3.0-or-later, while the server and CLI are MIT.

## Usage data (the week of Oct 25–31, 2026)

- Board rank: #245 overall, #36 in MCP and agent tools, momentum score 38
- Downloads that week: 5.5k (−15% vs 4-week average)
- New GitHub stars per week (last 12 weeks): Aug 9: 93; Aug 16: 89; Aug 23: 82; Aug 30: 78; Sep 6: 98; Sep 13: 80; Sep 20: 90; Sep 27: 65; Oct 4: 89; Oct 11: 136; Oct 18: 110; Oct 25: 117

## Zotero MCP alternatives

| Rank | Tool | Stars | Downloads/wk |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | [REA](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/morluto-rea/) | 415.5k | 760.6k |
| #2 | [ha-mcp](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/homeassistant-ai-ha-mcp/) | 5.4k | 118.1k |
| #3 | [Treg](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/superdesigndev-treg/) | 6.9k | 6.7k |
| #4 | [Chrome DevTools MCP](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/chrome-devtools-mcp/) | 54.6k | 2.7M |
| #5 | [codebase-memory-mcp](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/deusdata-codebase-memory-mcp/) | 47.9k | – |
| #6 | [open-computer-use](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/ifuryst-open-computer-use/) | 2.8k | – |

## Zotero MCP FAQ

### Is Zotero MCP free and open source?

Yes. Zotero MCP's source code is on GitHub (54yyyu/zotero-mcp) under the MIT license, so you can use it for free.

### How do I install Zotero MCP?

Run `uv tool install zotero-mcp-server`. The zotero-mcp-server package needs Python 3.10 or newer. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

### Is Zotero MCP still maintained?

Yes. The 54yyyu/zotero-mcp repository was last updated on Oct 16, 2026, and the latest release, v0.15.1 on GitHub, came out on Oct 16, 2026.

### How popular is Zotero MCP?

Zotero MCP has 5.7k GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 117 new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 94 a week. Its main package had 5.5k downloads that week, −15% against its own 4-week average. That made it #36 among MCP servers and agent tools on the Devtoolwatch Board.

### What are the best alternatives to Zotero MCP?

Other MCP servers and agent tools on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: REA (#1), ha-mcp (#2), Treg (#3), Chrome DevTools MCP (#4), codebase-memory-mcp (#5). The alternatives table above has their numbers.

### Is there a Zotero MCP server?

Yes. Zotero MCP, published as zotero-mcp-server on PyPI, is an MCP server and CLI that connects your Zotero library to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Codex and other AI assistants.

### Can Zotero MCP be used with editor-based agents like Cursor?

Yes. Zotero MCP supports Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code and other agents with a shell. Run zotero-mcp install-skill to teach the agent to drive zotero-cli, or add the MCP server entry to the client config.

### Should I use the MCP server or the agent skill?

Zotero MCP recommends the MCP server for clients without a shell, like Claude Desktop and ChatGPT, and the agent skill for clients with a shell. The skill costs 98 tokens until needed; both share one config.

### Does Zotero MCP need Zotero running?

Zotero MCP's local mode reads directly from zotero.sqlite, but writes go to the running Zotero 10+ or through the web API. Zotero's local API must be enabled in Zotero 7+.

### Does Zotero MCP support semantic search?

Yes. Zotero MCP offers semantic search with local, OpenAI, Gemini, or Ollama embeddings through the semantic extra, which uses ChromaDB and sentence-transformers.

## Sources

1. [54yyyu/zotero-mcp on GitHub](https://github.com/54yyyu/zotero-mcp)
2. [Zotero MCP README](https://github.com/54yyyu/zotero-mcp/blob/main/README.md)
3. [zotero-mcp-server on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/zotero-mcp-server/)
4. [Zotero MCP website](https://stevenyuyy.com/zotero-mcp/)
5. [Release v0.15.1 (Oct 16, 2026)](https://github.com/54yyyu/zotero-mcp/releases/tag/v0.15.1)
6. [Release v0.15.0 (Oct 15, 2026)](https://github.com/54yyyu/zotero-mcp/releases/tag/v0.15.0)
7. [Release v0.14.1 (Oct 8, 2026)](https://github.com/54yyyu/zotero-mcp/releases/tag/v0.14.1)
8. [Hacker News: Show HN: Zotero-MCP – Connect Your Research Library with Your AI Assistant](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43824520)
9. [Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/)