Magic MCP vs FrameThrower
A side-by-side look at the Magic MCP and FrameThrower 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 developer tools work as a local process; choose FrameThrower for developer tools over a hosted endpoint. 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 Developer Tools 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 FrameThrower when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
- You want tools like
search_frames, find_by_craft, find_similar.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
| Quality signal | 53/100 · Good | 55/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Remote HTTP/SSE |
| Auth | API key required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Paid service | Not declared |
| Required env vars | TWENTY_FIRST_API_KEYAPI_KEY_21ST |
Tools & capabilities
Magic MCP tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
FrameThrower tools 4
search_framesSearch the FrameThrower cinematography reference library by concept, mood, color, composition, or scene. Returns reference frames with film/credits metadata, a preview thumbnail, the full-resolution image URL (use this one for slide decks and documents), a precomputed DEPTH MAP url (greyscale, same dimensions as the frame — pass it straight to a depth ControlNet or any image-to-image pipeline that wants geometry), and a link to view on FrameThrower.find_by_craftFind frames by specific cinematography craft attributes — lens character, shot size, visual style, setting, time of day, director, or year range. All optional; combine to narrow. Use this to refine a search precisely.find_similarFind frames visually/semantically similar to a given frame id (from a prior result). Use this to pull more references like one the user shortlisted.get_frame_detailsGet the full metadata + preview thumbnail + full-resolution image URL + depth map URL + link for a single frame id. The depth map is precomputed and free — use it when the user is generating images and needs the composition or camera geometry of this frame.
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"
}
}
}
}
FrameThrower
{
"mcpServers": {
"framethrower": {
"url": "https://framethrower.ai/api/mcp"
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Magic MCP is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. FrameThrower belongs to Developer Tools and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Pick Magic MCP for developer tools work and FrameThrower for developer tools.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Magic MCP is listed as a paid service. Auth: api key required. FrameThrower has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add 21st-dev-magic-mcp and framethrower as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Magic MCP has a quality signal of 53/100 (Good) with 16 views, 1 installs and 5,997 GitHub stars. FrameThrower has 55/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars.