Audiobookshelf vs Inspo
A side-by-side look at the Audiobookshelf and Inspo MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Audiobookshelf for developer tools work as a local process; choose Inspo for developer tools as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Audiobookshelf when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
AUDIOBOOKSHELF_URL, AUDIOBOOKSHELF_API_KEY. - You want tools like
list_libraries, get_library, get_library_stats.
Choose Inspo when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
search_screens, get_screen, get_design_system.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
| Quality signal | 56/100 · Good | 69/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | AUDIOBOOKSHELF_URLAUDIOBOOKSHELF_API_KEY | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 1 | 913 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 30 | 15 |
| Full listing | View Audiobookshelf | View Inspo |
Tools & capabilities
Audiobookshelf tools 30
list_librariesThe accessible libraries with id, name and media type — the entry pointget_libraryOne library with its folders and settingsget_library_statsItem, author and genre counts, total duration and sizeget_library_filter_dataThe filterable values of a library: authors, genres, tags, series, narrators, languages, publisherslist_library_itemsItems of a library, paginated, sortable, filterablesearch_libraryFull-text search across books, podcasts, series, authors, narrators and tagsget_personalized_shelvesThe home screen shelves: Continue Listening, Recently Added, …list_seriesSeries with book count and total durationlist_authorsAuthors, optionally with their itemslist_tagsAll tags / genres used on the serverget_library_itemOne book or podcast with metadata, tags and your progressget_item_chaptersThe chapter list of a book, separate because it can be long- +18 more on the listing page
Inspo tools 15
search_screensSearch the archive of real website screenshots. Returns screens with palette, fonts, components and image URLs.get_screenFetch the full record for one screen by slug - every viewport variant, palette, fonts, tech stack, designer credit.get_design_systemThe full DESIGN.md for one screen - real fonts, frequency-ranked palette, CSS variables, detected tech, colour roles, type ramp. Thin captured tokens are supplemented by a live fetch of the source; `live=false` skips that.find_similarA screen's nearest design neighbours - ranked by design-similarity embeddings where available, else by macrostructure / industry / style overlap. One result per site.compareCompare 2-4 captured sites across palette, typefaces, macrostructure, mode, style tags, type/spacing/radius scales and container width. Returns per-site breakdowns plus what they share - triangulates a house style from a few references.find_by_colorReal sites whose extracted palette sits near a hex colour (OKLAB distance, so 'close' means the same colour family, not just the same hue). Use when a brief names a brand colour.find_examples_for_macrostructureReal sites exemplifying one of the 19 named macrostructures. Call it at the macrostructure-pick step. Accepts slugs ('bento-grid') or display names ('Bento Grid').list_collectionsList every editor-curated issue. Use this for thematic browsing - e.g. all 'Editorial Layouts' or 'Dark Product Pages'.get_filtersEvery value the filters accept: styles, industries, macrostructures, modes, vibes, colors, page types, component types. Zero input. Call it when unsure - an out-of-vocabulary value errors.get_site_pagesA site's captured pages as an ordered flow (landing → pricing → features → ...) with titles, northstars and thumbnails - how a real product sequences its pages. No arguments returns the directory of flow-capable sites. Accepts a site or screen slug.find_componentsReal sites featuring a specific UI component (hero, pricing, features, cta, nav, footer, testimonial, logo-cloud, faq, stat), with a per-element crop where one exists. For copy-pasteable code use get_reference_jsx.get_collectionFetch one issue by slug, including the editor's blurb and ordered screen list.- +3 more on the listing page
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.
Audiobookshelf
{
"mcpServers": {
"audiobookshelf": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"audiobookshelf-mcp"
],
"env": {
"AUDIOBOOKSHELF_URL": "YOUR_AUDIOBOOKSHELF_URL_HERE",
"AUDIOBOOKSHELF_API_KEY": "YOUR_AUDIOBOOKSHELF_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Inspo
{
"mcpServers": {
"inspo": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"inspo-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Audiobookshelf is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. Inspo belongs to Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Audiobookshelf for developer tools work and Inspo for developer tools.
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.
Audiobookshelf has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Inspo has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. 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 audiobookshelf and inspo as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Audiobookshelf has a quality signal of 56/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars. Inspo has 69/100 (Great) with 2 views, 0 installs and 913 GitHub stars.