Kiln vs GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating

A side-by-side look at the Kiln and GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.

KilnIndustrial & IoT · Local subprocess (stdio)MCP server that lets AI agents drive real 3D printers end to end — design, slice, queue, monitor via camera, and recover from failures — across Bambu Lab, Creality, Prusa, Elegoo, and more over OctoPrint, Moonraker/Klipper, PrusaLink, and USB. AGPL-3.0, pip install kiln3d.64GoodAuth: api key required

GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimatingIndustrial & IoT · Remote HTTP/SSETwo independent AI models read a GPR, locate or pipe scan and flag the do-not-core call.53GoodAuth: not declared

Verdict: choose Kiln for industrial & iot work as a local process; choose GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating for industrial & iot over a hosted endpoint. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Which MCP server should you choose?

Choose Kiln when

You need dedicated capabilities in the Industrial & IoT domain.
You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
Its auth model fits you: API key required.
You have the keys it needs: KILN_PRINTER_HOST, KILN_PRINTER_API_KEY, KILN_PRINTER_TYPE, KILN_OPENROUTER_KEY.
You want tools like load_filament, unload_filament, plan_only.

Explore Kiln

Choose GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating when

You need dedicated capabilities in the Industrial & IoT domain.
You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
You want tools like read_scan, draft_estimate, get_pricing.

Explore GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

Spec	Kiln	GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating
Category	Industrial & IoT	Industrial & IoT
Quality signal	64/100 · Good	53/100 · Good
Install command	Confirmed	Confirmed
Transport	Local subprocess (stdio)	Remote HTTP/SSE
Auth	API key required	Not declared
Pricing	Free	Not declared
Required env vars	`KILN_PRINTER_HOSTKILN_PRINTER_API_KEYKILN_PRINTER_TYPEKILN_OPENROUTER_KEY`	None listed
Verified owner	Community listing	Community listing
GitHub stars	95	0
Directory activity	5 views 0 installs 0 upvotes	2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
Tools	5	3
Full listing	View Kiln	View GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating

Tools & capabilities

Kiln tools 5

load_filament
unload_filament
plan_only
plate_clear
look_at_plate

GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating tools 3

read_scanGet an independent AI second opinion on a subsurface scan before anyone cores or digs. Send a public image URL of a GPR scan, a marked-up concrete slab photo, a utility-locate markup, a concrete radiograph, or a CCTV pipe frame. TWO different AI models read it independently — the second is prompted to refute the first — and you get back every located target with its hazard class (do-not-core / rebar / verify / clear), plus a QA flag when the two reads disagree. Advisory only: a certified technician must review and sign off before any cutting.
draft_estimateTurn a plain-English description of a trade job into a professional itemized bid — real materials by size, fittings, consumables and labor on its own line, at realistic US market prices. Built for one-truck electrical, plumbing, HVAC and general-contracting shops. This is GruntPay: the contractor normally speaks this into their phone. Returns the line items plus a link to brand it and send it to the customer.
get_pricingCurrent GroundTruth and GruntPay plans and prices. Free to call — use it before answering any cost question rather than guessing.

Ready-to-paste client configs

Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.

Kiln

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "codeofaxel-kiln": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "kiln3d",
        "kiln"
      ],
      "env": {
        "KILN_PRINTER_HOST": "YOUR_KILN_PRINTER_HOST_HERE",
        "KILN_PRINTER_API_KEY": "YOUR_KILN_PRINTER_API_KEY_HERE",
        "KILN_PRINTER_TYPE": "YOUR_KILN_PRINTER_TYPE_HERE",
        "KILN_OPENROUTER_KEY": "YOUR_KILN_OPENROUTER_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "groundtruth-subsurface-scan-qa-trade-estimating-2": {
      "url": "https://gtfi.ai/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

Kiln is categorized under Industrial & IoT and uses a local stdio subprocess. GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating belongs to Industrial & IoT and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Pick Kiln for industrial & iot work and GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating for industrial & iot.

Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.

Kiln is listed as free. Auth: api key required. GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.

Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add codeofaxel-kiln and groundtruth-subsurface-scan-qa-trade-estimating-2 as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

On AllMCPs, Kiln has a quality signal of 64/100 (Good) with 5 views, 0 installs and 95 GitHub stars. GroundTruth — subsurface scan QA & trade estimating has 53/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.