Astro vs Astroway MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Astro and Astroway MCP 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 Astro when:

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

Explore Astro Details

Choose Astroway MCP when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Spirituality & Esoterica domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Freemium).
• You have access to required keys: ASTROWAY_API_KEY, ASTROWAY_TOOL_GROUPS, ASTROWAY_READONLY, ASTROWAY_DISCOVERY_MODE.
• Primary tools included: Exposes every endpoint of AstroWay Calculation API, Supports natal, synastry, transits, and Vedic astrology, Includes tarot (Rider-Waite, Marseille, Lenormand) and numerology (5 systems).

Explore Astroway MCP Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Astro Spirituality & Esoterica	Astroway MCP astroway Spirituality & Esoterica
Summary	Multi-tradition astrology. 19 modes, 18 tools. Deterministic ephemeris engine.	Comprehensive astrology MCP exposing every endpoint of the AstroWay Calculation API — natal charts, synastry, transits, Vedic dashas (Vimshottari, Yogini, Ashtottari, Kalachakra), 16 Vargas, Tarot (Rider-Waite-Smith / Marseille / Lenormand), Numerology (5 systems), Human Design, AI horoscopes. Sub-arcsecond Swiss Ephemeris precision, 10 000 free credits/month. Install: npx @astroway/mcp.
Category & Scope

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": {
    "astro": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "skills"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "astroway-astroway-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@astroway/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ASTROWAY_API_KEY": "YOUR_ASTROWAY_API_KEY_HERE",
        "ASTROWAY_TOOL_GROUPS": "YOUR_ASTROWAY_TOOL_GROUPS_HERE",
        "ASTROWAY_READONLY": "YOUR_ASTROWAY_READONLY_HERE",
        "ASTROWAY_DISCOVERY_MODE": "YOUR_ASTROWAY_DISCOVERY_MODE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

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