What is the key difference between Shield and Skarn?

Shield belongs to the Security category with local stdio execution, while Skarn belongs to the Security category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution.

How do I install Shield or Skarn in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Shield and Skarn free or paid?

Shield operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Skarn operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Shield lists 6 tools with 3 views and 8 GitHub stars. Skarn lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Shield and Skarn together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Shield vs Skarn

In-depth architectural comparison of the Shield and Skarn 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.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Shield

Security · Local stdio

Quality: 60/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Skarn

Security · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 36/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Shield if you need specialized Security tools running via a local process. Choose Skarn if your workspace requires Security integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Shield when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: SHIELD_CLOAK_VALUE.
Primary tools included: Intercepts and blocks destructive tool calls with 65+ adaptive rules, Supports local stdio and remote Streamable HTTP MCP servers, TOFU pinning of tool catalogs to prevent supply-chain attacks.

Explore Shield Details

Choose Skarn when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Skarn Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Shield AperionAI Security	Skarn Security
Summary	Local guardrail proxy for AI coding agents. Wraps any MCP server (stdio or Streamable HTTP) and blocks destructive tool calls — DROP TABLE, rm -rf, force-push — before they execute. MCP supply-chain protection: TOFU tool-catalog pinning against rug pulls, plus tool-description and tool-result scanning for tool poisoning and prompt injection. 51 starter rules, approval gates, audit logging. Single binary, Apache-2.0.	Scans AI coding sessions and assistant configs for leaked secrets and risky hooks; local, redacted
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Shield Tools (6)

Intercepts and blocks destructive tool calls with 65+ adaptive rules

Supports local stdio and remote Streamable HTTP MCP servers

TOFU pinning of tool catalogs to prevent supply-chain attacks

Audit logging and approval gates with optional biometric verification

Reversible secret cloaking to hide credentials from model context

Pre-install MCP server scanning and OS-level sandbox confinement

Skarn Tools (0)

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).

Shield Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aperionai-shield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SHIELD_CLOAK_VALUE": "YOUR_SHIELD_CLOAK_VALUE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Skarn Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skarn": {
      "url": "https://getskarn.com/terms/"
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Shield is categorized under Security and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Skarn belongs to Security using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select Shield when you need capabilities focused on security and Skarn when you require tools for security.

More alternatives to Shield More alternatives to Skarn Security category hub