What is the main functional difference between Open WebSearch and Surface?

Open WebSearch is categorized under Search & Data Extraction and uses a local stdio subprocess. Surface belongs to Search & Data Extraction and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Open WebSearch for search & data extraction work and Surface for search & data extraction.

How do I install Open WebSearch or Surface in Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf?

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.

Are Open WebSearch and Surface free to use, or do they require API keys?

Open WebSearch is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Surface is listed as freemium — a free tier with paid plans. Auth: api key required. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.

Can I run both Open WebSearch and Surface at the same time in my AI client?

Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add aas-ee-open-websearch and surface as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

Which MCP server has higher directory engagement and quality ratings?

On AllMCPs, Open WebSearch has a quality signal of 65/100 (Great) with 3 views, 0 installs and 1,857 GitHub stars. Surface has 74/100 (Great) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.

Open WebSearch vs Surface

A side-by-side look at the Open WebSearch and Surface MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.

Open WebSearchSearch & Data Extraction · Local subprocess (stdio)Web search using free multi-engine search (NO API KEYS REQUIRED) — Supports Bing, Baidu, DuckDuckGo, Brave, Exa, and CSDN.65GreatAuth: no auth required

SurfaceSearch & Data Extraction · Local subprocess (stdio)Remote MCP (streamable HTTP at https://nova-otter-delta-cloud.grok.me/mcp). Tool preflight_url unwraps short or unknown links (t.co, bit.ly, lnkd.in) before an agent fetches them and returns next: fetch or skip. No page body returned. Usage-priced: Preflight $0.25/1k, Inspect $0.20/1k.74GreatAuth: api key required

Verdict: choose Open WebSearch for search & data extraction work as a local process; choose Surface for search & data extraction as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Spec	Open WebSearch	S Surface
Category	Search & Data Extraction	Search & Data Extraction
Quality signal	65/100 · Great	74/100 · Great
Install command	Confirmed	Confirmed
Transport	Local subprocess (stdio)	Local subprocess (stdio)
Auth	No auth required	API key required
Pricing	Free	Freemium
Required env vars	None listed	`SURFACE_API_KEYSURFACE_BASE_URL`
Verified owner	Community listing	Verified
GitHub stars	1,857	0
Directory activity	3 views 0 installs 0 upvotes	1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
Tools	6	Not listed
Full listing	View Open WebSearch	View Surface

Open WebSearch vs Surface

Which MCP server should you choose?

Choose Open WebSearch when

S
Choose Surface when

Feature & specification comparison

Tools & capabilities

Open WebSearch tools 6

Surface tools

Ready-to-paste client configs

Open WebSearch

Surface

Frequently asked questions