What is the key difference between Sportscore MCP and Balldontlie MCP?

Sportscore MCP belongs to the Sports category with local stdio execution, while Balldontlie MCP belongs to the Sports category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Sportscore MCP or Balldontlie MCP 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 Sportscore MCP and Balldontlie MCP free or paid?

Sportscore MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Balldontlie MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Sportscore MCP lists 8 tools with 2 views and 12 GitHub stars. Balldontlie MCP lists 7 tools with 1 views and 26 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Sportscore MCP and Balldontlie MCP 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

Sportscore MCP vs Balldontlie MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Sportscore MCP and Balldontlie 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.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Sportscore MCP

Sports · Local stdio

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

Balldontlie MCP

Sports · Local stdio

Quality: 48/100 (Fair) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose Sportscore MCP if you need specialized Sports tools running via a local process. Choose Balldontlie MCP if your workspace requires Sports integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Sportscore MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Sports domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: SPORTSCORE_API_BASE, SPORTSCORE_UA, SPORTSCORE_HTTP_PORT, SPORTSCORE_HTTP_HOST, SPORTSCORE_NO_TELEMETRY.
Primary tools included: get_matches, get_match_detail, get_team_schedule.

Explore Sportscore MCP Details

Choose Balldontlie MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Sports domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Sportscore MCP Backspace-me Sports	Balldontlie MCP mikechao Sports
Summary	Live scores, standings, top scorers, player stats, and knockout brackets for football, basketball, cricket, and tennis. Free public API, no key required.	MCP server that integrates balldontlie api to provide information about players, teams and games for the NBA, NFL and MLB
Category & Scope	Sports

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Sportscore MCP Tools (8)

get_matches

List live and recent matches for a sport. Returns up to `limit` matches with scores, status, kickoff time and team logos. Good default for 'what's happening in football right now?'.

get_match_detail

Get detailed data for a single match by its slug (e.g. 'manchester-united-vs-liverpool'): score, status, timeline, lineups. Slugs come from get_matches results or match URLs on sportscore.com.

get_team_schedule

Get a team's past and upcoming fixtures by team slug (e.g. 'barcelona', 'manchester-united', 'los-angeles-lakers').

get_standings

Get the current standings table for a league or competition by slug (e.g. 'premier-league', 'la-liga', 'nba').

get_top_scorers

Get the top scorers (or top assisters) for a competition. Useful for 'who's leading the Premier League scoring charts?'.

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).

Sportscore MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "backspace-me-sportscore-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "sportscore-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SPORTSCORE_API_BASE": "YOUR_SPORTSCORE_API_BASE_HERE",
        "SPORTSCORE_UA": "YOUR_SPORTSCORE_UA_HERE",
        "SPORTSCORE_HTTP_PORT": "YOUR_SPORTSCORE_HTTP_PORT_HERE",
        "SPORTSCORE_HTTP_HOST": "YOUR_SPORTSCORE_HTTP_HOST_HERE",
        "SPORTSCORE_NO_TELEMETRY": "YOUR_SPORTSCORE_NO_TELEMETRY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Balldontlie MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mikechao-balldontlie-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mikechao-balldontlie-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY": "YOUR_BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Sportscore MCP is categorized under Sports and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Balldontlie MCP belongs to Sports using local stdio subprocess. Select Sportscore MCP when you need capabilities focused on sports and Balldontlie MCP when you require tools for sports.

More alternatives to Sportscore MCP More alternatives to Balldontlie MCP Sports category hub