Substack MCP vs Synter Ads
A side-by-side look at the Substack MCP and Synter Ads MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Substack MCP for social media work as a local process; choose Synter Ads for social media as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Substack MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Social Media domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: other.
- You have the keys it needs:
SUBSTACK_PUBLICATION_URL, SUBSTACK_SESSION_TOKEN, SUBSTACK_USER_ID, SUBSTACK_MCP_HOME. - You want tools like
get_subscriber_count, list_published_posts, list_drafts.
Choose Synter Ads when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Social Media domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
SYNTER_API_KEY. - You want tools like
list_campaigns, create_search_campaign, create_display_campaign.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Media | Social Media |
| Quality signal | 68/100 · Great | 64/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | other | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | SUBSTACK_PUBLICATION_URLSUBSTACK_SESSION_TOKEN |
Tools & capabilities
Substack MCP tools 14
get_subscriber_countGet 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_postsList published posts with pagination. Returns title, date, slug, and URL for each post.list_draftsList draft posts. Returns title, creation date, and audience for each draft.get_postGet the full content of a published post by ID. Returns title, body HTML, metadata.get_draftGet the full content of a draft post by ID. Returns title, body, metadata.get_post_commentsGet comments on a published post. Returns commenter name, comment body, date, and reaction counts.get_sectionsList your publication's sections (categories). Returns each section's id and name. Use a section id as `section_id` when creating or updating a draft to file it under that section.get_post_analyticsGet performance stats (views, emails sent/delivered/opened, signups, subscribes, estimated value, comments, reactions) for a published post by ID. Substack has no per-post stats endpoint, so this searches your 500 most recent published posts for the ID; returns a not-found note if it isn't among them.list_scheduled_postsList posts scheduled for future publication, soonest first. Read-only visibility into what's queued — scheduling itself is done in Substack's editor (this server does not schedule, publish, or delete long-form posts). Returns id, title, audience, and scheduled time (`trigger_at`).create_draftCreate a new draft post. Accepts markdown body which is converted to Substack's format. Does NOT publish — creates a draft only.
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.
Substack MCP
{
"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"
}
}
}
}
Synter Ads
{
"mcpServers": {
"synter-ads": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@synterai/mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"SYNTER_API_KEY": "YOUR_SYNTER_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Substack MCP is categorized under Social Media and uses a local stdio subprocess. Synter Ads belongs to Social Media and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Substack MCP for social media work and Synter Ads for social media.
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.
Substack MCP is listed as free. Auth: other. Synter Ads 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 conorbronsdon-substack-mcp and synter-ads as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Substack MCP has a quality signal of 68/100 (Great) with 5 views, 0 installs and 43 GitHub stars. Synter Ads has 64/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 20 GitHub stars.