What is the key difference between Code Index and Github?

Code Index belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution, while Github belongs to the Developer Tools category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution.

How do I install Code Index or Github 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 Code Index and Github free or paid?

Code Index operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Github operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Code Index lists 5 tools with 0 views and 7 GitHub stars. Github lists 9 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Code Index and Github 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

Code Index vs Github

In-depth architectural comparison of the Code Index and Github 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

Code Index

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 41/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Github

Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 57/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Code Index if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a local process. Choose Github if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Code Index 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: index_directory, search_code, list_indexes.

Explore Code Index Details

Choose Github when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: search_repos, get_repo, list_repo_issues.

Explore Github Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	C Code Index Developer Tools	G Github Developer Tools
Summary	Fast local source code searching using Zoekt trigram-based indexing	GitHub MCP — wraps the GitHub public REST API (no auth required for public endpoints)
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Code Index Tools (5)

index_directory

Index a source code directory for fast searching.

search_code

Search for code across indexed directories. Returns compact grep-like output to minimize context window usage.

list_indexes

List all indexed directories and their locations.

delete_index

Delete the index for a specific directory.

index_info

Get information about the indexing configuration, including storage location.

Github Tools (9)

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).

Code Index Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "code-index-3": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "code-index-3"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Github Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-3": {
      "url": "https://pipeworx.io"
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Code Index is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Github belongs to Developer Tools using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select Code Index when you need capabilities focused on developer tools and Github when you require tools for developer tools.

More alternatives to Code Index More alternatives to Github Developer Tools category hub