AgentPlaybooks vs Penfield MCP

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

AgentPlaybooks logoAgentPlaybooksKnowledge & Memory · Local subprocess (stdio)Portable, vendor-neutral home for agent skills, MCP servers, personas, and memory.47FairAuth: not declaredPenfield MCP logoPenfield MCPKnowledge & Memory · Local subprocess (stdio)Penfield: persistent memory with hybrid search (BM25 + vector + graph), 24 relationship types for knowledge graphs, context checkpoints for cognitive handoff, artifact storage, and personality system. Works across Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP client.49FairAuth: oauth 2.0

Verdict: choose AgentPlaybooks for knowledge & memory work as a local process; choose Penfield MCP for knowledge & memory as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Which MCP server should you choose?

AgentPlaybooks logoChoose AgentPlaybooks when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • You have the keys it needs: NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL, NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY, SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY, SECRETS_ENCRYPTION_KEY.
Explore AgentPlaybooks

Penfield MCP logoChoose Penfield MCP when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • Its auth model fits you: OAuth 2.0.
Explore Penfield MCP

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

SpecAgentPlaybooks logoAgentPlaybooksPenfield MCP logoPenfield MCP
CategoryKnowledge & MemoryKnowledge & Memory
Quality signal47/100 · Fair49/100 · Fair
Install commandConfirmedConfirmed
TransportLocal subprocess (stdio)Local subprocess (stdio)
AuthNot declaredOAuth 2.0
PricingNot declaredFree
Required env varsNEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URLNEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEYSUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEYSECRETS_ENCRYPTION_KEYNone listed
Verified ownerCommunity listingCommunity listing
GitHub stars96
Directory activity 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes 4 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
ToolsNot listedNot listed

Tools & capabilities

AgentPlaybooks tools

No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.

Penfield MCP tools

No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.

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.

AgentPlaybooks

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "agentplaybooks": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@agentplaybooks/cli@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL": "YOUR_NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL_HERE",
        "NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY": "YOUR_NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY_HERE",
        "SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY": "YOUR_SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY_HERE",
        "SECRETS_ENCRYPTION_KEY": "YOUR_SECRETS_ENCRYPTION_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Penfield MCP

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "penfieldlabs-penfield-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

AgentPlaybooks is categorized under Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. Penfield MCP belongs to Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick AgentPlaybooks for knowledge & memory work and Penfield MCP for knowledge & memory.

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.

AgentPlaybooks has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Penfield MCP is listed as free. Auth: oauth 2.0. 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 agentplaybooks and penfieldlabs-penfield-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

On AllMCPs, AgentPlaybooks has a quality signal of 47/100 (Fair) with 0 views, 0 installs and 9 GitHub stars. Penfield MCP has 49/100 (Fair) with 4 views, 0 installs and 6 GitHub stars.