What is the key difference between Mcp Virustotal and Guardrails?

Mcp Virustotal belongs to the Security category with local stdio execution, while Guardrails belongs to the Security category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution.

How do I install Mcp Virustotal or Guardrails 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 Mcp Virustotal and Guardrails free or paid?

Mcp Virustotal operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required). Guardrails operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Mcp Virustotal lists 24 tools with 2 views and 144 GitHub stars. Guardrails lists 6 tools with 0 views and 1 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Mcp Virustotal and Guardrails 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.

How do I install Mcp Virustotal or Guardrails in Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf?

Both servers follow the standard Model Context Protocol configuration format. Simply copy the JSON block from the configuration section above and paste it into your AI client's mcpServers configuration object (for instance in claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json ), then completely restart or refresh the application.

Are Mcp Virustotal and Guardrails free to use, or do they require API keys?

Mcp Virustotal is listed under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model with API Key required . Guardrails operates under a Free / Open Source model with No auth required . If environment variables are required (such as API keys), be sure to define them under the env key in your MCP client's configuration file.

Can I run both Mcp Virustotal and Guardrails at the same time in my AI client?

Yes! MCP clients support multi-server orchestration. You can include both burtthecoder-mcp-virustotal and guardrails as distinct keys inside the single mcpServers object in your configuration file. Your AI assistant will automatically select and call the appropriate tool from either server during chat sessions.

Which MCP server has higher directory engagement and quality ratings?

On AllMCPs, Mcp Virustotal has a Quality Score of 65 /100 ( Great ) with 2 views, 0 installs, and 144 GitHub stars. Guardrails holds a Quality Score of 49 /100 ( Fair ) with 0 views, 0 installs, and 1 GitHub stars.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Mcp Virustotal vs Guardrails

In-depth architectural comparison of the Mcp Virustotal and Guardrails 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

Mcp Virustotal

Security · Local stdio

Quality: 65/100 (Great) | Auth: API Key required

Guardrails

Security · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 49/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Mcp Virustotal if you need specialized Security tools running via a local process. Choose Guardrails if your workspace requires Security integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Mcp Virustotal when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
You have access to required keys: VIRUSTOTAL_API_KEY, MCP_TRANSPORT, MCP_PORT, MCP_ENDPOINT.
Primary tools included: get_url_report, url, get_file_report.

Explore Mcp Virustotal Details

Choose Guardrails when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: validate_input, filter_output, check_policy.

Explore Guardrails Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Mcp Virustotal BurtTheCoder Security	G Guardrails Security
Summary	MCP server for querying the VirusTotal API. This server provides tools for scanning URLs, analyzing file hashes, and retrieving IP address reports.	AI Agent Guardrails MCP server - security layer
Category & Scope	Security	Security

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Mcp Virustotal Tools (24)

get_url_report

url

get_file_report

hash

get_ip_report

get_domain_report

domain

relationships

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).

Mcp Virustotal Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "burtthecoder-mcp-virustotal": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@burtthecoder/mcp-virustotal"
      ],
      "env": {
        "VIRUSTOTAL_API_KEY": "YOUR_VIRUSTOTAL_API_KEY_HERE",
        "MCP_TRANSPORT": "YOUR_MCP_TRANSPORT_HERE",
        "MCP_PORT": "YOUR_MCP_PORT_HERE",
        "MCP_ENDPOINT": "YOUR_MCP_ENDPOINT_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Guardrails Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "guardrails": {
      "url": "https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT"
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Mcp Virustotal is categorized under Security and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Guardrails belongs to Security using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select Mcp Virustotal when you need capabilities focused on security and Guardrails when you require tools for security.

More alternatives to Mcp Virustotal More alternatives to Guardrails Security category hub