What is the key difference between Substack MCP and MCP Server?

Substack MCP belongs to the Social Media category with local stdio execution, while MCP Server belongs to the Social Media category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution.

How do I install Substack MCP or 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 Substack MCP and MCP Server free or paid?

Substack MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (other). MCP Server operates under a Paid Service model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Substack MCP lists 14 tools with 4 views and 34 GitHub stars. MCP Server lists 18 tools with 4 views and 5 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Substack MCP and 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

Substack MCP vs MCP Server

In-depth architectural comparison of the Substack MCP and 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

Substack MCP

Social Media · Local stdio

Quality: 68/100 (Great) | Auth: other

MCP Server

Social Media · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 60/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

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

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Substack MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Social Media domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: other (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: SUBSTACK_PUBLICATION_URL, SUBSTACK_SESSION_TOKEN, SUBSTACK_USER_ID, SUBSTACK_MCP_HOME.
Primary tools included: get_subscriber_count, list_published_posts, list_drafts.

Explore Substack MCP Details

Choose MCP Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Social Media domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Paid Service).
You have access to required keys: PORT, PUBLORA_API_URL.
Primary tools included: .

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Substack MCP conorbronsdon Social Media	MCP Server publora Social Media
Summary	MCP server for Substack — read posts, manage drafts, publish Notes, get comments, and upload images. Safe by design: cannot publish or delete posts.	Official Publora MCP server — schedule and publish posts across 10 social platforms (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram) from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client. 18 tools for cross-platform posting, scheduling, media upload, and LinkedIn analytics. Hosted at mcp.publora.com.
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Substack MCP Tools (14)

get_subscriber_count

Get the current subscriber count for your Substack publication. Returns `precision`: 'exact' when the API reports a true count, 'approximate' when only Substack's rounded value is available (the real number is that or higher — render it hedged, e.g. '1,000+'), or 'unavailable' with count -1. Never treat an approximate value as exact.

list_published_posts

List published posts with pagination. Returns title, date, slug, and URL for each post.

list_drafts

List draft posts. Returns title, creation date, and audience for each draft.

get_post

Get the full content of a published post by ID. Returns title, body HTML, metadata.

get_draft

Get the full content of a draft post by ID. Returns title, body, metadata.

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).

Substack MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "conorbronsdon-substack-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@conorbronsdon/substack-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SUBSTACK_PUBLICATION_URL": "YOUR_SUBSTACK_PUBLICATION_URL_HERE",
        "SUBSTACK_SESSION_TOKEN": "YOUR_SUBSTACK_SESSION_TOKEN_HERE",
        "SUBSTACK_USER_ID": "YOUR_SUBSTACK_USER_ID_HERE",
        "SUBSTACK_MCP_HOME": "YOUR_SUBSTACK_MCP_HOME_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "publora-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://mcp.publora.com"
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Substack MCP is categorized under Social Media and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, MCP Server belongs to Social Media using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select Substack MCP when you need capabilities focused on social media and MCP Server when you require tools for social media.

More alternatives to Substack MCP More alternatives to MCP Server Social Media category hub