What is the key difference between Bill Commons and Openstates?

Bill Commons belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution, while Openstates belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Bill Commons or Openstates 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 Bill Commons and Openstates free or paid?

Bill Commons operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Openstates operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Bill Commons lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Openstates lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Bill Commons and Openstates 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

Bill Commons vs Openstates

In-depth architectural comparison of the Bill Commons and Openstates 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

Bill Commons

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 29/100 (Emerging) | Auth: No auth required

Openstates

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 28/100 (Emerging) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Bill Commons if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a local process. Choose Openstates if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Bill Commons when:

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

Explore Bill Commons Details

Choose Openstates when:

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

Explore Openstates Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Bill Commons Developer Tools	Openstates Developer Tools
Summary	Search 209k+ US state bills, all 50 states + DC: full text, sponsors, votes, status. Free.	OpenStates MCP — bills, legislators, votes in all 50 US states
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Bill Commons Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

Openstates Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

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).

Bill Commons Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bill-commons": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "bill-commons"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Openstates Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openstates": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "openstates"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Bill Commons is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Openstates belongs to Developer Tools using local stdio subprocess. Select Bill Commons when you need capabilities focused on developer tools and Openstates when you require tools for developer tools.

More alternatives to Bill Commons More alternatives to Openstates Developer Tools category hub