Magic MCP vs Snapback

In-depth architectural comparison of the Magic MCP and Snapback MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Magic MCP when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Paid Service).
• You have access to required keys: TWENTY_FIRST_API_KEY, API_KEY_21ST.
• Primary tools included: UI component generation, Component, theme, and template search, Design inspiration lookup.

Explore Magic MCP Details

S

Choose Snapback when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Snapback Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Magic MCP 21st-dev Developer Tools	S Snapback Developer Tools
Summary	Create crafted UI components inspired by the best 21st.dev design engineers.	Diagnose why an AI agent failed and get the verified fix instantly. Free, no LLM.
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

{
  "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"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snapback": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "snapback"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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