What is the key difference between API.market MCP Gateway and HAL?

API.market MCP Gateway belongs to the Developer Tools category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution, while HAL belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution.

How do I install API.market MCP Gateway or HAL 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 API.market MCP Gateway and HAL free or paid?

API.market MCP Gateway operates under a Freemium model (OAuth 2.0). HAL operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

API.market MCP Gateway lists 0 tools with 1 views and 0 GitHub stars. HAL lists 8 tools with 2 views and 38 GitHub stars.

Can I use both API.market MCP Gateway and HAL 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

API.market MCP Gateway vs HAL

In-depth architectural comparison of the API.market MCP Gateway and HAL 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

API.market MCP Gateway

Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 52/100 (Good) | Auth: OAuth 2.0

HAL

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 61/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose API.market MCP Gateway if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a hosted cloud SSE transport. Choose HAL if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose API.market MCP Gateway when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: OAuth 2.0 (Freemium).

Explore API.market MCP Gateway Details

Choose HAL 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).
You have access to required keys: HAL_SWAGGER_FILE, HAL_API_BASE_URL, HAL_WHITELIST_URLS, HAL_BLACKLIST_URLS.
Primary tools included: http-get, http-post, http-put.

Explore HAL Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	A API.market MCP Gateway Developer Tools	HAL Developer Tools
Summary	Proprietary hosted Streamable HTTP MCP gateway for API discovery, operation schemas, API calls, usage checks and subscription management through five tools: search_apis, get_api_tools, call_api, check_usage and manage_subscription. Requires an API.market account with OAuth (recommended) or API-key authentication. Free tiers, paid plans and limits vary by API; API calls and subscription changes may incur charges. OAuth/PKCE and five-tool discovery verified with Claude Code 2.1.281; not every API operation or client has been tested. The public integration repository contains configuration and documentation, not the hosted server implementation. Connect directly to https://api.market/api/mcp/gateway; no local package is required.	HAL (HTTP API Layer) - An MCP server that provides HTTP API capabilities to Large Language Models
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

API.market MCP Gateway Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

HAL Tools (8)

http-get

Make an HTTP GET request to a specified URL. Supports secret substitution using {secrets.key} syntax where 'key' corresponds to HAL_SECRET_KEY environment variables.

http-post

Make an HTTP POST request to a specified URL with optional body and headers. Supports secret substitution using {secrets.key} syntax in URL, headers, and body where 'key' corresponds to HAL_SECRET_KEY environment variables.

http-put

Make an HTTP PUT request to a specified URL with optional body and headers. Supports secret substitution using {secrets.key} syntax in URL, headers, and body where 'key' corresponds to HAL_SECRET_KEY environment variables.

http-patch

Make an HTTP PATCH request to a specified URL with optional body and headers. Supports secret substitution using {secrets.key} syntax in URL, headers, and body where 'key' corresponds to HAL_SECRET_KEY environment variables.

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).

API.market MCP Gateway Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "api-market-mcp-gateway": {
      "url": "https://api.market/api/mcp/gateway"
    }
  }
}

HAL Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hal": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "hal-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "HAL_SWAGGER_FILE": "YOUR_HAL_SWAGGER_FILE_HERE",
        "HAL_API_BASE_URL": "YOUR_HAL_API_BASE_URL_HERE",
        "HAL_WHITELIST_URLS": "YOUR_HAL_WHITELIST_URLS_HERE",
        "HAL_BLACKLIST_URLS": "YOUR_HAL_BLACKLIST_URLS_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

API.market MCP Gateway is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. In contrast, HAL belongs to Developer Tools using local stdio subprocess. Select API.market MCP Gateway when you need capabilities focused on developer tools and HAL when you require tools for developer tools.

More alternatives to API.market MCP Gateway More alternatives to HAL Developer Tools category hub