If you use an Apple Notes MCP server today, the notes only reach the agents that run on your Mac. To give Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor and cloud agents the same notes, move the context you want shared into a notes tool with a remote MCP server you sign in to with OAuth. I built LotsNotes for exactly this: one remote MCP URL, a REST API for agents with no browser, and the same notes for every agent. Below is what the Apple Notes servers actually are (from their own READMEs) and what the alternatives offer. Checked on 3 November 2026.
What the Apple Notes MCP servers actually are
I opened the READMEs of four popular Apple Notes MCP projects on GitHub today. They are community projects, not an Apple product, and they all work the same way: a program you run on your own Mac, started by your MCP client over stdio.
| Project | How it reads notes | Platform and setup (README text) | Write |
|---|---|---|---|
| sirmews/apple-notes-mcp | Reads the local Apple Notes database | "You'll need to grant Full Disk Access to the server." Install with uvx apple-notes-mcp | README lists "No ability to create or edit notes" under missing features |
| henilcalagiya/mcp-apple-notes | "Native AppleScript integration" | "macOS - Required for AppleScript support" | "Full CRUD support" (create, read, update, delete) |
| RafalWilinski/mcp-apple-notes | "Native Apple Notes integration via JXA", with on-device semantic search | Needs Bun and Claude Desktop; "Fully local execution - no API keys needed" | Its to-do list ticks "Storing notes in Notes via Claude" |
| JonathanRReed/Apple-MCPs | Automation access to Notes (one of several Apple apps) | "Requires Python 3.11+ and macOS." | Safety modes you set per app |
Two README lines matter for the question you are asking. The Apple-MCPs README says "The servers run on your Mac." and, about its optional HTTP mode, "The servers have no remote authentication and reject network and wildcard binds. Do not expose them through a tunnel or public proxy."
So by design these servers are for a desktop agent on the same Mac. A cloud agent, a teammate's agent, or ChatGPT in a browser is not meant to reach them. That is not a flaw in the projects, it is what "local" means. If every agent needs the notes, the notes need to live somewhere every agent can sign in to.
Sources: the four GitHub READMEs above. Checked on 3 November 2026.
Where LotsNotes wins
LotsNotes is a shared notes workspace made for agents. These are the facts from lotsnotes.com, its MCP page and its pricing page:
- Remote MCP with OAuth. Add
https://api.lotsnotes.com/mcpas a connector in Claude, ChatGPT, Codex or Cursor and sign in with your Lots account. No local server, no key. - A REST API for agents without a browser. Give a cloud agent the API docs and an API key and it reads and writes notes from its own computer.
- AGENTS.md that reaches every folder. Workspace notes come back with every folder, so one workspace AGENTS.md reaches every agent.
- Private notes agents never see. Private notes are visible only to you on lotsnotes.com and are never returned through MCP or the API.
- Version history with restore. Agents can list versions, restore an earlier one, and archive or restore notes and folders.
- Roles. Agents act as you and see only the folders you can access.
Free is $0 for one person: 1 workspace, 3 folders, unlimited notes and checklists, with MCP and REST API access. Pro is $99 once for unlimited workspaces, folders and team members with roles, not a subscription. Prices checked on 3 November 2026 on lotsnotes.com/pricing.
The scenario it fits: you want your Apple Notes habit to become "write it once, every agent reads it", including agents that never touch your Mac. Move the notes your agents need (positioning, rules, AGENTS.md, handoffs) into folders, keep personal things in private notes, and connect each agent with the one URL. The LotsNotes site does not list an Apple Notes import, so you copy across the notes you want shared.
If you want setup steps per agent, see how to connect Claude, ChatGPT, Codex and Cursor to LotsNotes.
Other shared-note tools with official MCP servers
Each of these has an official remote MCP server. I opened each vendor's own pages today.
| LotsNotes | Basic Memory | Nuclino | Notion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCP | Remote, OAuth: https://api.lotsnotes.com/mcp | Cloud remote MCP, OAuth: https://cloud.basicmemory.com/mcp; local install also available | Remote, OAuth 2.0: https://api.nuclino.com/mcp | Remote: https://mcp.notion.com/mcp, OAuth |
| Free plan | Free, one person, 1 workspace, 3 folders, unlimited notes | Open source and free on your own machine; cloud starts with a 7-day trial | Free plan with up to 50 items; MCP "available on all plans" | Free at $0 per seat/month |
| Paid | Pro $99 once | Cloud $19, Pro $99, Business $249 per month per workspace, usage credits included | Starter and Business, per user per month | Plus $10 per seat/month, Business $20 per seat/month |
| Private or limited access | Private notes never returned to agents; folder roles | Invite-only projects and per-person access on Business | "AI tools only see the Nuclino content your account has access to"; private workspaces | MCP can "read and update content that you can access" |
Sources: Basic Memory pricing and cloud guide, Nuclino MCP and pricing, Notion MCP guide and pricing. Checked on 3 November 2026.
Basic Memory is the closest in spirit: plain Markdown notes your AI and you share, free to run locally, with a hosted cloud when you want sync across agents. It prices by usage credits per workspace rather than a one-off fee, and its Business plan adds audit logs and invite-only projects.
Nuclino is a lightweight team wiki with OAuth sign-in for its MCP, and the MCP works on the free plan. It is built for teams who want a wiki first, with real-time editing and graph views.
Notion has the widest feature set: databases, calendars and a large tool list behind one remote MCP server. If your notes already live in Notion, its MCP is the natural place to start. We cover it in more depth in Notion MCP alternatives.
For a wider list, see best notes apps with an MCP server.
Which one should you pick?
- You only use Claude Desktop on one Mac and want to search your personal notes. Stay on an Apple Notes MCP server. It is local and free.
- You want Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor and cloud agents to read the same instructions and context. Use LotsNotes: one remote URL, a REST API, AGENTS.md in every folder and private notes that stay private.
- You want agent-maintained Markdown memory with a graph. Look at Basic Memory.
- You already run your team wiki in Nuclino or Notion. Use their MCP and keep the notes where they are.
If you own the business
You do not need to give agents your whole life. Put the facts every agent must get right (what you sell, prices, tone, rules) in shared notes, keep the rest private, and let each agent read the same current version.
If you run an agency
Make one folder per client. The agent opens the right folder and never mixes two clients, and your own private notes stay out of reach.
FAQ
What is an Apple Notes MCP server?
It is a community program that runs on your Mac and lets an MCP client such as Claude Desktop read, and in some projects write, your Apple Notes. The READMEs I checked describe reading the local database or using AppleScript or JXA.
Can a cloud agent or ChatGPT use an Apple Notes MCP server?
These servers run on your Mac. The Apple-MCPs README says its servers "run on your Mac" and have "no remote authentication", so you should not expose them through a tunnel or public proxy. For cloud agents, use a notes tool with a remote MCP server or a REST API.
Does LotsNotes import Apple Notes?
The LotsNotes site does not list an Apple Notes import. Copy the notes you want agents to read into a workspace or folder.
What does LotsNotes cost?
Free is $0 for one person, with 1 workspace, 3 folders and unlimited notes and checklists. Pro is $99 once for unlimited workspaces, folders and team members with roles. Checked on 3 November 2026.
Will agents see my private notes in LotsNotes?
No. Private notes are visible only to you on lotsnotes.com and are never returned through MCP or the API.