Bankruptcy Observer vs Docket Alarm
A side-by-side look at the Bankruptcy Observer and Docket Alarm MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Bankruptcy Observer for legal work over a hosted endpoint; choose Docket Alarm for legal as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Bankruptcy Observer when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Legal domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
- You want tools like
search_bankruptcy_cases_tool, get_case_by_ein_tool, get_case_by_case_number_tool.
Choose Docket Alarm when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Legal domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
docketalarm_search, docketalarm_get_docket, docketalarm_search_pacer.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Legal | Legal |
| Quality signal | 57/100 · Good | 59/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Remote HTTP/SSE | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 18 | 3 |
| Full listing | View Bankruptcy Observer | View Docket Alarm |
Tools & capabilities
Bankruptcy Observer tools 18
search_bankruptcy_cases_toolSearch US business bankruptcy cases by debtor name. Individual debtors and adversary proceedings (lawsuits) are omitted unless include_individuals or include_adversary is true. Case numbers are shortCaseNumber. FREE (exact/prefix, no *): limited fields, no auth. Use *term for contains (paid). Optional court filter. total is the full match count; pass skip for the next page.get_case_by_ein_toolLook up case by debtor EIN. Paid (full data + optional last filing date). live_update (subscribers) triggers one-time source refresh.get_case_by_case_number_toolLook up case(s) by short case number (e.g. 26-10543). FREE for 7-digit format (limited fields, all courts). Paid: full + live_update + court filter.get_cases_by_industry_toolUS business bankruptcy cases by industry label or key (Hotels, Retail, real-estate, etc.). Individual debtors and adversary proceedings (lawsuits) are omitted unless include_individuals or include_adversary is true. start_date and end_date are inclusive calendar days (YYYY-MM-DD). When a date is set, total is the full match count and skip (or offset) pages past limit (max 100). Paid.get_cases_by_naics_toolUS business bankruptcy cases by NAICS (2-4 digits). Individual debtors and adversary proceedings (lawsuits) are omitted unless include_individuals or include_adversary is true. start_date and end_date are inclusive calendar days (YYYY-MM-DD). When a date is set, total is the full match count and skip (or offset) pages past limit (max 100). Paid.get_cases_by_state_toolUS business bankruptcy cases by debtor state (2-letter). Individual debtors and adversary proceedings (lawsuits) are omitted unless include_individuals or include_adversary is true. start_date and end_date are inclusive calendar days (YYYY-MM-DD). When a date is set, total is the full match count and skip (or offset) pages past limit (max 100). Paid.get_cases_by_date_range_toolUS business bankruptcy cases filed in a date range (dateFiled). Individual debtors and adversary proceedings (lawsuits) are omitted unless include_individuals or include_adversary is true. Omitting both dates defaults to yesterday. start_date and end_date are inclusive calendar days (YYYY-MM-DD), including filings later that day. Case numbers are shortCaseNumber. total is the full match count, not the page size. limit is one page (max 500, default 100); pass skip or offset for the next page. has_more is true when more rows remain. Paid.get_docket_entries_toolDocket entries for a case, ordered by itemNumber ascending. Each entry includes the full PACER itemText (never sliced) and docket_id — call get_document_tool with that docket_id (no accept_charge) for an inline cost preview, then again with accept_charge: true to download the PDF. Pass simple_name (preferred, see list_monitored_cases_tool) or short_case_number / case_number (e.g. 26-42901; use court_state to disambiguate). Optional docket_id, item_number, or item_from/item_to to fetch specific entries. Single Case plan: monitored cases only. limit max 50 (default 25); pass skip (or offset, or 1-based page) to walk past the first block. A page may contain fewer than limit entries so every caption stays complete for MCP clients. Response includes total, skip, limit, returned, and has_more. Optional live_update refreshes from court sources first. Subscribers only.get_case_summary_toolPlain-English structured summary of one case: debtor, chapter, court, case number, key dates (filed, plan confirmed, discharged, closed), asset/liability ranges, nature of business, judge, and AI-extracted case profile data when available. Pass simple_name (preferred, see list_monitored_cases_tool) or a 7-digit case_number. Subscribers only.get_document_cost_toolPreview the cost to download a court filing PDF. Identify the entry with docket_id (preferred) or simple_name + item_number (legacy connectors). Does not pull the document and does not charge. Same preview as get_document_tool when accept_charge/download is omitted. Confirm the cost with the user before download. Cost is $0 if already purchased, or if the PDF is already in our library and the plan has flagFreeLibrary. Free-page allowances (if any) come from plan limitDocuments and apply to billable pulls. Returns page_count, chargeable_pages, cost, plan_limit_documents, pages_used_this_period, free_pages_remaining, document_in_library, and already_owned.get_document_toolCourt filing PDF. Identify the entry with docket_id (preferred) OR simple_name + item_number (legacy cached connectors). Step 1: cost preview — omit accept_charge/download or set false. Step 2: after user confirms, call with accept_charge:true or download:true to purchase and download (signed URL). Returns docket_id in the preview so follow-up calls can use the hash. Pulls from PACER when needed.list_monitored_cases_toolList the cases on your BankruptcyObserver.com monitoring list (case_id, simple_name, name, chapter, court, case number, dateFiled, last docket date). Use get_docket_entries_tool for docket_id values passed to get_document_tool. Requires your MCP token to be linked to your subscriber account. Subscribers only.- +6 more on the listing page
Docket Alarm tools 3
docketalarm_searchSearch court dockets (state + federal) for `<query>` — full-text search across 675M+ US state, county, and federal court dockets (deeper state coverage than CourtListener). Returns matching cases with court, docket number, title, filing date, and link. Example: docketalarm_search({ q: "patent infringement Apple", limit: 20, _apiKey: "user@example.com:yourpassword" })docketalarm_get_docketGet full docket detail for a case — returns case title, parties, filing date, and docket entries for a specific court + docket number. Cached documents are free. Example: docketalarm_get_docket({ court: "U.S. District Court, N.D. California", docket: "5:11-cv-01846", _apiKey: "user@example.com:yourpassword" })docketalarm_search_pacerSearch federal PACER dockets by party — live party-name search across federal PACER (Appellate, Bankruptcy, Civil, Criminal, MDL). Note: this passes live PACER search fees at cost. Returns matching federal cases with court, docket, title, and filing date. Example: docketalarm_search_pacer({ party_name: "Microsoft Corporation", _apiKey: "user@example.com:yourpassword" })
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.
Bankruptcy Observer
{
"mcpServers": {
"bankruptcy-observer": {
"url": "https://mcp.bankruptcyobserver.com/mcp"
}
}
}
Docket Alarm
{
"mcpServers": {
"docket-alarm": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@pipeworx/mcp-docket-alarm"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Bankruptcy Observer is categorized under Legal and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Docket Alarm belongs to Legal and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Bankruptcy Observer for legal work and Docket Alarm for legal.
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.
Bankruptcy Observer has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Docket Alarm 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 bankruptcy-observer and docket-alarm as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Bankruptcy Observer has a quality signal of 57/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Docket Alarm has 59/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.