pdf-mcp

by jztan · Productivity · ★ 155

pdf-mcp is an MCP server by jztan. MCP server that lets Claude Code and other AI agents read and search large PDFs, one file or a whole folder: agentic RAG with hybrid semantic + keyword search, selective page reads, tables, images, OCR, chart data, and multi-column/CJK layouts. It has 155 GitHub stars and ranks #166 of 1809 in Productivity by stars.

Category: Productivity
Author: jztan
GitHub stars: 155
This week: Tracking since 18 Oct 2026
Language: Python
License: MIT (open source)
Last update: 2026-10-13 (11 days ago)
Links: Source Website PyPI

agentic-rag
ai
cjk
claude
claude-code
codex-cli
document-processing
llm
mcp
mcp-server
model-context-protocol
ocr
+8 more

How to install pdf-mcp

pdf-mcp is published on PyPI as pdf-mcp, and it is listed in the official MCP Registry. These steps assume it runs as a local stdio server, which is the usual setup.

Check the README. Confirm the start command and note any API keys or environment variables it needs (pass them with -e KEY=value or an env block). You need uv for uvx.
Add it to Claude Code from a terminal:
```
claude mcp add pdf-mcp -- uvx pdf-mcp
```

Or add it to Cursor or Claude Desktop in .cursor/mcp.json or claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pdf-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "pdf-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Restart the client and check it. Run claude mcp list, or open the client's MCP settings, and confirm pdf-mcp and its tools are listed. The install guide covers VS Code and Codex.

Also listed in

Maintain this project? Get it featured ($99/mo, pinned at the top of Productivity) or see what featuring includes.

Report a problem with this listing

Frequently asked questions

What is pdf-mcp?

pdf-mcp is an MCP server by jztan in the Productivity category. MCP server that lets Claude Code and other AI agents read and search large PDFs, one file or a whole folder: agentic RAG with hybrid semantic + keyword search, selective page reads, tables, images... It has 155 GitHub stars and ranks #166 of 1809 in Productivity by stars.

Is pdf-mcp free and open source?

Yes. pdf-mcp is published under the MIT license, so you can run, modify and self-host it at no cost. If it connects to a paid service, that service's own pricing and API terms still apply. Check the repository for the exact license text before using it commercially.

What are the alternatives to pdf-mcp?

Other Productivity projects on MCP Harbor include markitdown, Agent-Reach, AstrBot. Each alternative links to its own page with stars, license and recent activity. The Productivity category ranks all 1809 by stars, and you can re-sort it by growth this week.

Alternatives to pdf-mcp

markitdown★ 191,862

microsoft · Python

Python tool for converting files and office documents to Markdown.

Agent-ReachTrending★ 101,437

Panniantong · Python+2,844 stars this week (+2.9%)

Give your AI agent eyes to see the entire internet. Read & search Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, GitHub, Bilibili, XiaoHongShu — one CLI, zero API fees.

AstrBotTrending★ 43,082

AstrBotDevs · Python+1,030 stars this week (+2.4%)

AI Agent Assistant & development framework that integrates lots of IM platforms, LLMs, plugins and AI feature, and can be your openclaw alternative. ✨

CopilotKit★ 38,201

CopilotKit · TypeScript

The Frontend Stack for Agents & Generative UI. React, Angular, Mobile, Slack, and more. Makers of the AG-UI Protocol

activepieces★ 25,196

activepieces · TypeScript+114 stars this week (+0.5%)

AI Agents & MCPs & AI Workflow Automation • (~400 MCP servers for AI agents) • AI Automation / AI Agent with MCPs • AI Workflows & AI Agents • MCPs for AI Agents

n8n-mcp★ 23,126

czlonkowski · TypeScript+32 stars this week (+0.1%)

A MCP for Claude Desktop / Claude Code / Windsurf / Cursor to build n8n workflows for you

All 1809 Productivity MCP servers →

Data last updated 25 October 2026. Stars and downloads are refreshed every day from GitHub and npm.