Local RAG (shinpr) MCP Server

Search private documents from an MCP client or the terminal without sending them to an embedding API. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

People who work with local rag, privacy first and semantic search and want it reachable from Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in TypeScript.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-09-29 · ★ 405 · #1 OF 117 MAINTAINED AI & ML · VERIFIED 2026-09-30

MIT · TypeScript servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Local RAG (shinpr)

before you install - you'll need

Set BASE_DIR, RAG_HYBRID_WEIGHT, RAG_RERANK_CMD, BASE_DIRS before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add shinpr-mcp-local-rag -- npx -y mcp-local-rag

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shinpr-mcp-local-rag": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-local-rag"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions

license MIT - declared in the repository

npm package mcp-local-rag - unscoped; check the name against the project README before installing

registry namespace io.github.shinpr is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Local RAG (shinpr) can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Latest releases

v0.19.1 · 2026-09-22

External rerankers now accept command templates with {query} and {top} placeholders, including quoted paths and arguments. · If you use RAG_RERANK_CMD, add the query and result-count flags to your setting. The server…

v0.19.0 · 2026-09-20

Changes · Added RAG_RERANK_CMD, an optional external command that receives each search result and returns its own ordered set. Retrieval distance favours titles and headings over the sentences that answer a query, so…

v0.18.6 · 2026-09-18

Changes · ingest no longer fails on CJK and other dense-script documents. Text that exceeds the embedding model's token limit is now split instead of truncated, so the end of a long paragraph stays searchable. Content…

04 · Who maintains Local RAG (shinpr)

mcp-local-rag is maintained by shinpr. We track 3 MCP servers from shinpr - 3 actively maintained, 671 combined GitHub stars, oldest repo from Aug 2025. Full record: all servers from shinpr.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/shinpr/mcp-local-rag
category: AI & ML - ranked #1 of 117 actively-maintained AI & ML servers as of 2026-09-30.
release cadence: 10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-09-22)
registry: io.github.shinpr/mcp-local-rag (active, first published 2025-10-31 · 54 versions)
packages: npm:mcp-local-rag

06 · Local RAG (shinpr) FAQ

What is Local RAG (shinpr)?

Search private documents from an MCP client or the terminal without sending them to an embedding API. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

Is Local RAG (shinpr) still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-09-30, its last commit was 2026-09-29 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install Local RAG (shinpr)?

Run `npx -y mcp-local-rag`. The README documents 4 environment variables (BASE_DIR, RAG_HYBRID_WEIGHT, RAG_RERANK_CMD…) to set first. Set BASE_DIR, RAG_HYBRID_WEIGHT, RAG_RERANK_CMD, BASE_DIRS before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Local RAG (shinpr) run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Local RAG (shinpr)

Alternatives to Local RAG (shinpr)

Maintained AI & ML servers if Local RAG (shinpr) isn't the fit.

Pairs well with

Servers that cover what Local RAG (shinpr) doesn't - only shown when the pairing reason fits the companion.

head to head · Wigolo vs Local RAG (shinpr) · Visual Memory MCP vs Local RAG (shinpr) · Haiku RAG vs Local RAG (shinpr)

More AI & ML MCP servers · Quesen Deterministic Agent Decision Layer · Sidclaw Governance MCP · Notepatra MCP · Machine Library · Spoken

More TypeScript MCP servers · Sub Agents MCP · L402 Kit · Ship Static · Seminara · Shrike · see all