What is the key difference between Crossref and Figshare?

Crossref belongs to the Research category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution, while Figshare belongs to the Research category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution.

How do I install Crossref or Figshare 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 Crossref and Figshare free or paid?

Crossref operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Figshare operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Crossref lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Figshare lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Crossref and Figshare 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

Crossref vs Figshare

In-depth architectural comparison of the Crossref and Figshare 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

Crossref

Research · Remote HTTP/SSE

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

Figshare

Research · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 37/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Crossref if you need specialized Research tools running via a hosted cloud SSE transport. Choose Figshare if your workspace requires Research integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Crossref when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Crossref Details

Choose Figshare when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Figshare Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Crossref Research	Figshare Research
Summary
Category & Scope	Research	Research
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Crossref Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

Figshare Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

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).

Crossref Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crossref-2": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/crossref/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Figshare Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "figshare": {
      "url": "https://api.figshare.com/v2/"
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Crossref is categorized under Research and uses a remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. In contrast, Figshare belongs to Research using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select Crossref when you need capabilities focused on research and Figshare when you require tools for research.

More alternatives to Crossref More alternatives to Figshare Research category hub