What is the key difference between Build and Onto?

Build belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution, while Onto belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Build or Onto 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 Build and Onto free or paid?

Build operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Onto operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Build lists 5 tools with 4 views and 138 GitHub stars. Onto lists 6 tools with 0 views and 1 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Build and Onto 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

Build vs Onto

In-depth architectural comparison of the Build and Onto 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

Build

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 52/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Onto

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 51/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Build if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a local process. Choose Onto 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 Build 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).
Primary tools included: Schema-validated structured JSON output, Human-readable MCP content output, TypeScript compiler support.

Explore Build Details

Choose Onto 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).
Primary tools included: read_url, score_url, read_and_score.

Explore Onto Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Build Developer Tools	O Onto Developer Tools
Summary	Structured build tool output (tsc, generic commands) as typed JSON diagnostics.	Clean Markdown and AI-readability scoring for any URL. Built for AI agents.
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Build Tools (5)

Schema-validated structured JSON output

Human-readable MCP content output

TypeScript compiler support

esbuild, Vite, and webpack coverage

Reduced reliance on fragile CLI parsing

Onto Tools (6)

read_url

Returns clean Markdown for a URL with metadata about the extraction (sizes, reduction %, cache state).

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).

Build Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "build": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@paretools/init"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Onto Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "onto": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@ontosdk/mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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

More alternatives to Build More alternatives to Onto Developer Tools category hub