What is the key difference between Activitypub MCP and Exa MCP Server?

Activitypub MCP belongs to the Search & Data Extraction category with local stdio execution, while Exa MCP Server belongs to the Search & Data Extraction category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution.

How do I install Activitypub MCP or Exa MCP Server 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 Activitypub MCP and Exa MCP Server free or paid?

Activitypub MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required). Exa MCP Server operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Activitypub MCP lists 18 tools with 2 views and 17 GitHub stars. Exa MCP Server lists 4 tools with 4 views and 5,034 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Activitypub MCP and Exa MCP Server 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

Activitypub MCP vs Exa MCP Server

In-depth architectural comparison of the Activitypub MCP and Exa MCP Server 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

Activitypub MCP

Search & Data Extraction · Local stdio

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

Exa MCP Server

Search & Data Extraction · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 63/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Activitypub MCP if you need specialized Search & Data Extraction tools running via a local process. Choose Exa MCP Server if your workspace requires Search & Data Extraction integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Activitypub MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Search & Data Extraction domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: ACTIVITYPUB_ENABLE_WRITES, ACTIVITYPUB_DEFAULT_INSTANCE, ACTIVITYPUB_DEFAULT_TOKEN.
Primary tools included: discover-actor, discover-instances, fetch-timeline.

Explore Activitypub MCP Details

Choose Exa MCP Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Search & Data Extraction domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: web_search_exa, web_fetch_exa, agent_run.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Activitypub MCP cameronrye Search & Data Extraction	Exa MCP Server exa-labs Search & Data Extraction
Summary	A comprehensive MCP server that enables LLMs to explore and interact with the Fediverse through ActivityPub protocol. Features WebFinger discovery, timeline fetching, instance exploration, and cross-platform support for Mastodon, Pleroma, Misskey, and other ActivityPub servers.	A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server lets AI assistants like Claude use the Exa AI Search API for web searches. This setup allows AI models to get real-time web information in a safe and controlled way.
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Activitypub MCP Tools (18)

discover-actor

Find and retrieve the profile of any fediverse user or account (called an 'actor' in ActivityPub). Returns display name, bio, follower/following URLs, and inbox/outbox endpoints. Pass a handle like '@alice@mastodon.social' or 'alice@mastodon.social'.

discover-instances

Discover fediverse instances in real-time using the instances.social API with advanced filtering

fetch-timeline

Fetch recent posts (the outbox) from any fediverse actor — a user or account — with cursor- and ID-based pagination. Pass a handle like 'alice@mastodon.social'.

get-post-thread

Fetch a post and its full conversation thread including replies and parent posts

Unified search across the fediverse - find accounts, posts, or hashtags on any instance

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).

Activitypub MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cameronrye-activitypub-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "activitypub-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ACTIVITYPUB_ENABLE_WRITES": "YOUR_ACTIVITYPUB_ENABLE_WRITES_HERE",
        "ACTIVITYPUB_DEFAULT_INSTANCE": "YOUR_ACTIVITYPUB_DEFAULT_INSTANCE_HERE",
        "ACTIVITYPUB_DEFAULT_TOKEN": "YOUR_ACTIVITYPUB_DEFAULT_TOKEN_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Exa MCP Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "exa-labs-exa-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://vscode.dev/redirect/mcp/install?name=exa&config=%7B%22type%22%3A%22http%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fmcp.exa.ai%2Fmcp%22%7D"
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Activitypub MCP is categorized under Search & Data Extraction and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Exa MCP Server belongs to Search & Data Extraction using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select Activitypub MCP when you need capabilities focused on search & data extraction and Exa MCP Server when you require tools for search & data extraction.

More alternatives to Activitypub MCP More alternatives to Exa MCP Server Search & Data Extraction category hub