Arxivsub MCP vs Paperboy
A side-by-side look at the Arxivsub MCP and Paperboy MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Arxivsub MCP for research work as a local process; choose Paperboy for research. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Arxivsub MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
ARXIVSUB_SKILL_KEY. - You want tools like
search_papers, find_similar_papers, research_insight.
Choose Paperboy when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
- Its auth model fits you: other.
- You want tools like
search_papers, recommend_papers, send_papers.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Research | Research |
| Quality signal | 49/100 · Fair | 51/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Not confirmed yet |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | — |
| Auth | Not declared | other |
| Pricing | Not declared | Free |
| Required env vars | ARXIVSUB_SKILL_KEY |
Tools & capabilities
Arxivsub MCP tools 5
search_papersSemantic + keyword search over arXiv and conferences. Filters: venues, recency, year, `has_code`. Returns each paper's 6-part summary, authors, PDF, and code link.find_similar_papersNearest-neighbour "related work" for a paper you already found. Chainable for a mini literature review.research_insightPivot analytics (the website's Custom Chart engine): trends, rankings, breakdowns. *Pro / trial.*library_saveSave/update a paper in your personal library — notes, reading status, collections.library_listList your saved papers and collections.
Paperboy tools 14
search_papersSearch OpenAlex (general) or arXiv (`source="arxiv"`); results carry a `ref` and an `open_access_pdf` flagrecommend_papersDiscover related or new papers: citation-graph recommendations (Semantic Scholar) seeded from your Zotero library, plus keyword discovery from interests Claude distills out of the conversation. Excludes papers you already havesend_papersOne-off send by arXiv id, DOI, URL, or title (also records in Zotero if configured)queue_papersAdd papers to the Zotero Reading Queue without sending (optionally filed into topical collections)add_to_libraryTrack papers in Zotero **without** queueing or sending them (owned, paywalled, or read-later); a missing OA PDF is not treated as a failureadd_bookCatalogue a book by ISBN, book DOI, or title as a Zotero `book` item (Crossref, Open Library, Google Books); never deliveredattach_pdf
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.
Arxivsub MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"arxivsub-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"arxivsub-mcp"
],
"env": {
"ARXIVSUB_SKILL_KEY": "YOUR_ARXIVSUB_SKILL_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Paperboy
No confirmed install command for Paperboy yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
Frequently asked questions
Arxivsub MCP is categorized under Research and uses a local stdio subprocess. Paperboy belongs to Research and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Pick Arxivsub MCP for research work and Paperboy for research.
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. Paperboy has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.
Arxivsub MCP has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Paperboy is listed as free. Auth: other. 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 arxivsub-mcp and michaelellis003-paperboy as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Arxivsub MCP has a quality signal of 49/100 (Fair) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Paperboy has 51/100 (Good) with 3 views, 0 installs and 7 GitHub stars.