Apify MCP Server vs MCP Retrieval

In-depth architectural comparison of the Apify MCP Server and MCP Retrieval 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 Apify MCP Server when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Search & Data Extraction domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: title, readOnlyHint, true.

Explore Apify MCP Server Details

M

Choose MCP Retrieval when:

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

Explore MCP Retrieval Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Apify MCP Server Search & Data Extraction	M MCP Retrieval Search & Data Extraction
Summary	Extract data from any website with thousands of scrapers, crawlers, and automations on Apify Store ⚡	Web search, image search, and page scraping as Markdown. No API keys required.
Category & Scope	Search & Data Extraction	Search & Data Extraction

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": {
    "apify-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@apify/actors-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

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