Compute Connector vs Firecrawl MCP Server
A side-by-side look at the Compute Connector and Firecrawl MCP Server MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
C
Compute ConnectorCode Execution · Remote HTTP/SSELow on memory? Your bot sends heavy jobs to cloud sandboxes on your own provider keys. Flat fee.51GoodAuth: not declaredVerdict: choose Compute Connector for code execution work over a hosted endpoint; choose Firecrawl MCP Server for search & data extraction as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
CChoose Compute Connector when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Code Execution domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
- You want tools like
check_memory, run_job, save_provider_key.
Choose Firecrawl MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Search & Data Extraction domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
FIRECRAWL_API_KEY, HTTP_STREAMABLE_SERVER. - You want tools like
firecrawl_scrape, firecrawl_map, firecrawl_search.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | C Compute Connector | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Code Execution | Search & Data Extraction |
| Quality signal | 51/100 · Good | 90/100 · Excellent |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Remote HTTP/SSE | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | API key required |
| Pricing | BYOK (pay the provider) | Freemium |
| Required env vars | None listed | FIRECRAWL_API_KEYHTTP_STREAMABLE_SERVER |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Verified |
| GitHub stars | — | 7,676 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 15 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 8 | 25 |
| Full listing | View Compute Connector | View Firecrawl MCP Server |
Tools & capabilities
Compute Connector tools 8
check_memoryBefore a heavy job, send how much memory the machine your agent runs on has free (free -m, os.freemem()) and what you are about to run. Get a memory warning and a verdict: run_local, or offload with the provider to use. Free watch-only logs would_offload for the weekly report; nothing runs.run_jobPro: run a shell command in a fresh cloud sandbox on your own provider account (vercel (Vercel Sandbox, default), e2b, daytona, modal, workers (Workers Sandbox)) and get the exit code and the last 16 KB of stdout and stderr back. Send small input files with it. The sandbox is created for the job and stopped right after, so nothing idles on your bill. Free watch-only logs would_offload and runs nothing.save_provider_keyPro, owner only: save one provider key, sealed with AES-256-GCM before it reaches the database. Providers: vercel (Vercel Sandbox, default), e2b, daytona, modal, workers (Workers Sandbox). Vercel needs team_id and project_id; Modal and Workers Sandbox need bridge_url (see provider_setup). The key is checked with a read-only call first and is never returned or logged. Free stores nothing.list_providersEvery provider this connects to, how each one runs, and (with your key) the provider keys you saved: name, provider, fingerprint, default, last used. Never shows a key.delete_provider_keyPro, owner only: delete a saved provider key by name. Jobs on that key stop working at once.provider_setupStep-by-step setup for one provider: where to get the key, what to pass to save_provider_key, links to its docs and price page, and for Modal or Workers Sandbox the bridge code to deploy on your own account.weekly_reportPlain-English summary of the last 7 days: memory checks, low-memory warnings, jobs that would have been offloaded (free) or ran (Pro) by provider, minutes and failures. Read-only; sends nothing. Needs an API key.usage_and_upgradeShow today's usage for your key or IP and the $9/month upgrade link. Free tier: 500 calls/day. Not metered.
Firecrawl MCP Server tools 25
firecrawl_scrapeRetrieve and extract content from one supplied URL through Firecrawl. Use this when the request identifies a page and needs its content or defined fields. It can return markdown, HTML, links, screenshots, branding data, a targeted answer, or JSON matching a supplied schema; JSON is useful when the requested result has defined fields, while markdown preserves readable page content. This tool operates on a known page. For a set of pages use `firecrawl_crawl`, and to discover page URLs use `firecrawl_map` or `firecrawl_search`. Options include JavaScript render delay, cache age, main-content filtering, PII redaction, and lockdown cache-only retrieval. Browser actions may change the live page when interactive actions are enabled. Firecrawl may reuse recently indexed content instead of refetching the page, and the reuse window varies by domain. Set `maxAge: 0` to force a live fetch, or a smaller `maxAge` to bound how stale reused content may be. A successful response does not by itself confirm that the state it describes is still current. Returns the selected content formats and page metadata.firecrawl_mapEnumerate URLs indexed under one website through Firecrawl without fetching each page's content. Use this when the request asks for a site's URL inventory, when several relevant pages must be located, or when the desired page URL is unknown. An optional `search` term narrows the URL list, while sitemap, subdomain, query-parameter, and result-limit options control coverage. Returns matching URLs rather than page bodies. Retrieve one page with `firecrawl_scrape`; collect content across multiple pages with `firecrawl_crawl`.firecrawl_searchSearch web, news, or image sources and return ranked results. Operators include quoted phrases, `-term`, `site:host`, `inurl:term`, `intitle:term`, and `related:host`; the set is non-exhaustive. `includeDomains` and `excludeDomains` are mutually exclusive hostname filters; categories limit results to GitHub, research, PDF, or developer sources. For a programming question, add `categories: ["developer"]`. It searches an index of GitHub issues, merged pull requests, repository READMEs, and curated documentation sites, and returns the hits in `data.developer` beside the web results. `categories: ["research"]` restricts these web results to research-affiliated websites and returns page snippets. The `firecrawl_research_*` tools are a separate surface that searches paper abstracts and full text across biomedical (PubMed, bioRxiv, medRxiv) and arXiv literature. `scrapeOptions` can attach extracted page content; pages fetched this way use a fixed reuse window and ignore `maxAge`, so use `firecrawl_scrape` when a live fetch is required. Returns source-type result groups and usage metadata. Authenticated responses can include an `id` for optional search feedback.firecrawl_crawlStart a multi-page crawl at a website URL, poll it to a terminal state, and return the final status and collected data. Scope can be bounded with include/exclude paths, depth, page limit, subdomain/external-link controls, sitemap handling, delay, and scrape options. Crawl results can be large; use conservative limits when full-site coverage is unnecessary. Webhooks and interactive scrape actions are unavailable in safe mode. Returns the crawl ID, status, and page data.firecrawl_check_crawl_statusRetrieve the current status, progress, and available results for an existing crawl ID. This only reads Firecrawl job state and does not start or modify the crawl.firecrawl_extractDeprecated compatibility entry point. Use firecrawl_scrape once per known URL with formats: ["json"] and jsonOptions containing the prompt and schema. Use firecrawl_search or firecrawl_agent before Scrape when URLs are not known.firecrawl_agentStart an asynchronous web research job from a prompt, optional seed URLs, and an optional JSON schema. Use this for a requested synthesis across multiple sources when the task can wait for asynchronous completion. The agent can search, navigate, read pages, and assemble a structured result. This call returns only a job ID, not the research result. Read the job with `firecrawl_agent_status` until it reaches `completed` or `failed`; research commonly takes several minutes. If the job cannot finish within the task's available time, `firecrawl_search` and `firecrawl_scrape` can gather evidence synchronously.firecrawl_agent_statusRetrieve progress or final results for a `firecrawl_agent` job ID. A `processing` response is non-terminal and does not contain the final research result. Check again after 15–30 seconds until the status is `completed` or `failed`; complex jobs can take several minutes. If the job cannot finish within the task's available time, use `firecrawl_search` and `firecrawl_scrape` to complete the requested output. Returns job status, progress information, and result data when completed.firecrawl_interactOpen or reuse a live browser session to navigate a page, click controls, fill fields, or run browser code. Provide either `url` or `scrapeId`, and either a natural-language `prompt` or executable `code`; code can run as Bash, Python, or Node with a bounded timeout. This acts on the live site, so actions such as form submission can create persistent external side effects. Returns execution output, stdout/stderr, exit status, and session viewing URLs.firecrawl_interact_stopStop the live interact session associated with a `scrapeId` and release its resources. Returns a success confirmation.firecrawl_parseParse one supported document into markdown, HTML, links, summary, targeted answers, or JSON matching a schema. Supported inputs include common HTML, PDF, Word, RTF, OpenDocument, and spreadsheet files; PDF parsing can be bounded with `pdfOptions.maxPages`. Local MCP reads `filePath` from the server filesystem. Hosted MCP uses two calls: first provide `filePath` to receive upload instructions, upload locally, then call again with the returned `uploadRef`; do not send both fields together. Remote web URLs belong in `firecrawl_scrape`. Set `redactPII` to request redaction of personally identifiable information in the returned content. `zeroDataRetention` requires an eligible authenticated account; omit it for anonymous keyless use. Returns upload instructions for hosted phase one or parsed document content for the final call.firecrawl_monitor_createCreate a recurring scrape, crawl, or search monitor that compares each check with its retained predecessor. The simple form accepts `page`/`pages` or `queries` plus a plain-language `goal`; the advanced `body` form controls targets, schedule, change-tracking formats, judging, retention, webhook, and notifications. In the simple form, a `goal` is required. If `queries` contains one or more non-empty values and is supplied with `page`/`pages`, `queries` create the search target and page targets are ignored. A monitor schedules future network checks and can send configured email or webhook notifications. Returns the created monitor.- +13 more on the listing page
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.
Compute Connector
{
"mcpServers": {
"compute-connector": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"compute-connector"
]
}
}
}
Firecrawl MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"firecrawl-firecrawl-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"firecrawl-mcp"
],
"env": {
"FIRECRAWL_API_KEY": "YOUR_FIRECRAWL_API_KEY_HERE",
"HTTP_STREAMABLE_SERVER": "YOUR_HTTP_STREAMABLE_SERVER_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Compute Connector is categorized under Code Execution and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Firecrawl MCP Server belongs to Search & Data Extraction and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Compute Connector for code execution work and Firecrawl MCP Server for search & data extraction.
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.
Compute Connector is bring-your-own-key: usage is billed by the API provider you supply a key for. Firecrawl MCP Server is listed as freemium — a free tier with paid plans. Auth: api key required. 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 compute-connector and firecrawl-firecrawl-mcp-server as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Compute Connector has a quality signal of 51/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Firecrawl MCP Server has 90/100 (Excellent) with 15 views, 0 installs and 7,676 GitHub stars.