Field-by-field comparison
Compare the evidence before choosing an MCP.
Each signal stays separate, missing facts remain visible, and the column order follows your selection.
| Evidence field | Official MCP TypeScript SDKMCP100 Selected | Context7 MCPMCP100 Selected |
|---|---|---|
| Task fit | ||
| Best for |
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| Not ideal for |
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| Avoid when |
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| Provenance | ||
| Provenance details | First-party MCP Model Context Protocol project · Publisher source ↗ | First-party MCP Upstash · Publisher source ↗ |
| Maintenance | ||
| Maintenance details | Repo: Not documented Package: Not documented | Repo: Aug 14, 2026 Package: Aug 11, 2026 |
| Popularity evidence | ||
| GitHub stars | Not documented | 60,740 GitHub stars · checked 2026-08-14T18:46:26.000Z |
| Package downloads / 30 days | No reliable download data | 3,865,239 package downloads / 30 days · checked 2026-09-08 |
| External adoption evidence | Not documented |
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| Client coverage | ||
| Client coverage details | Not documented | Claude Code✓ Streamable HTTP Claude Desktop✓ Streamable HTTP Codex✓ Streamable HTTP VS Code✓ Streamable HTTP Cursor✓ Streamable HTTP OpenCode✓ Streamable HTTP |
| Client coverage note | Local stdio runs on your computer. Streamable HTTP connects to a remotely hosted MCP server. | |
| Access and data | ||
| Authentication | The SDK provides protocol/client/server primitives; authentication is chosen by the application. Current SDK lines include support for MCP transport/auth mechanisms where applicable. | Remote MCP accepts CONTEXT7_API_KEY as an HTTP header. The local package accepts --api-key. The CLI can use OAuth to generate an API key; unauthenticated documentation commands may have lower limits. |
| Cost | Open-source SDK; runtime, hosting, APIs, and external services may have separate costs. | A free API key and free usage are documented, with higher-rate or team/enterprise offerings potentially requiring a paid plan. Applicable limits should be checked in the current Context7 dashboard. |
| Permissions | The SDK itself does not grant external permissions. Applications decide which tools/resources are exposed and what credentials they use. | The MCP surface resolves library identifiers and queries documentation. It does not require repository or filesystem write access for the documented hosted mode. |
| Data handling | Data flow is application-defined: MCP messages, tool inputs/outputs, resources, prompts, and any downstream system data handled by the app. | Context7 states that formulated queries are sent to its API while full prompts, source code, and conversation history are not transmitted; its tool descriptions instruct clients to remove secrets, personal data, and proprietary code. |
| Limitations | ||
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| Risk context | Medium. Main risks are application misconfiguration, dependency/supply-chain issues, overly broad tools, exposed transports, and unsafe downstream actions. | Primary risks are query disclosure, stale or inaccurate indexed documentation, and accidental API-key exposure. Keep queries free of proprietary details and verify consequential advice against first-party library documentation. |
| Evidence date | ||
| Editorial review | 2026-09-11 | 2026-07-24 |
| Candidate evidence | 2026-09-11T00:00:00.000Z | 2026-08-14T18:46:26.000Z |
Popularity, maintenance, fit, permissions, and client support are independent evidence fields.
Read the evidence method →