Magic MCP vs MCP Pdf
A side-by-side look at the Magic MCP and MCP Pdf 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 MCP Pdf for developer tools as a local process. 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 MCP Pdf when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
pdf-document, pdf-image, pdf-layout.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
| Quality signal | 53/100 · Good | 57/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | 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 |
Tools & capabilities
Magic MCP tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
MCP Pdf tools 5
pdf-documentCreate a flowing PDF document with automatic pagination. Best for: Reports, articles, letters, contracts, and documents with sequential content. Content flows naturally from top to bottom. Pages break automatically when content exceeds page height. Use "pageBreak" to force page breaks, "divider" for horizontal rules, and "spacer" for vertical spacing. Supported content types: - text: Body text with optional formatting (bold, italic, color, alignment) - heading: Section headings (larger font, bold by default) - image: Inline images that flow with content - divider: Horizontal line separators - spacer: Vertical whitespace - pageBreak: Force new page Default margins: Varies by page size (e.g., 72pt/1" for Letter, ~56pt for A4).pdf-imageGenerate PNG image(s) from PDF pages. Use this to visually verify PDF output without opening external applications. **Pages Options:** - Single page: `pages: 1` or `pages: 3` - Multiple pages: `pages: [1, 3, 5]` - All pages: `pages: "all"` - Default: page 1 only **Viewport Scale Recommendations:** - **0.25 (thumbnail)**: ~150px wide, smallest file (~15-30KB). Use for quick verification. - **0.5 (preview)**: ~300px wide, good balance (~40-80KB). **Recommended default.** - **1.0 (full)**: ~612px wide, detailed view (~150-300KB). Use when details matter. Lower scales produce smaller files, reducing context usage when sharing images.pdf-layoutCreate a PDF with precise positioning using Yoga flexbox layout. Best for: Dashboards, slides, certificates, flyers, and designs requiring exact placement. All items are positioned absolutely on specific pages. Use the "page" property to target different pages (e.g., page: 2 for multi-slide presentations). Pages are created as needed. Use groups for flexbox containers - they support direction, gap, justify, alignItems, and alignment properties for sophisticated layouts. Default margins: 0 (full canvas access for precise positioning).pdf-resumeGenerate a professional resume PDF from JSON Resume format. Supports layout customization, date/locale formatting, styling, fonts, and automatic page breaks.text-measure
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"
}
}
}
}
MCP Pdf
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-pdf-2": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@mcp-z/cli"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Magic MCP is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. MCP Pdf belongs to Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Magic MCP for developer tools work and MCP Pdf 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. MCP Pdf is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. 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 mcp-pdf-2 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. MCP Pdf has 57/100 (Good) with 4 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars.