Magic MCP vs Archicad
A side-by-side look at the Magic MCP and Archicad MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Magic MCP for architecture & design work as a local process; choose Archicad for architecture & design. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Magic MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Architecture & Design domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
TWENTY_FIRST_API_KEY, API_KEY_21ST.
Choose Archicad when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Architecture & Design domain.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
placement, capture_window.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Architecture & Design | Architecture & Design |
| Quality signal | 53/100 · Good | 49/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Not confirmed yet |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | — |
| Auth | API key required | No auth required |
| Pricing | Paid service | Free |
| Required env vars | TWENTY_FIRST_API_KEYAPI_KEY_21ST | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 6,209 | 7 |
| Directory activity | 16 views 1 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | Not listed | 2 |
| Full listing | View Magic MCP | View Archicad |
Tools & capabilities
Magic MCP tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
Archicad tools 2
placementcapture_window
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Magic MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"21st-dev-magic-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@21st-dev/cli@latest"
],
"env": {
"TWENTY_FIRST_API_KEY": "YOUR_TWENTY_FIRST_API_KEY_HERE",
"API_KEY_21ST": "YOUR_API_KEY_21ST_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Archicad
No confirmed install command for Archicad yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.