Discourse MCP vs Dns
A side-by-side look at the Discourse MCP and Dns MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Discourse MCP for communication work as a local process; choose Dns for communication as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Discourse MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You want tools like
discourse_select_site, discourse_search, discourse_filter_topics.
Choose Dns when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
check_mx, check_spf, check_dmarc.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Communication | Communication |
| Quality signal | 87/100 · Excellent | 61/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | API key required | No auth required |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Verified | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 77 | 9 |
| Directory activity | 5 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 16 | 81 |
| Full listing | View Discourse MCP | View Dns |
Tools & capabilities
Discourse MCP tools 16
discourse_select_siteValidate and select a Discourse site. Returns JSON with site URL and title.discourse_searchSearch site content. Returns JSON object with results array of matching topics (id, slug, title) and meta (total, has_more).discourse_filter_topicsDiscover topics through a filtered, top, or hot view. Filtered uses Discourse TopicsFilter syntax; top uses Discourse's authoritative top score and defaults to weekly; hot is defined exactly as daily top (not sentiment, controversy, or real-time velocity). Returns a uniform rich topic projection and truthful pagination metadata.discourse_read_topicRead topic metadata and posts. Large post limits can require multiple upstream requests. For moderation queues, prefer reviewable list/detail evidence instead of fanning this tool out across flagged topics.discourse_read_postRead a specific post. Returns JSON with id, topic_id, post_number, username, created_at, and raw content.discourse_read_topic_postsRead exact, earliest, latest, around-post, or username-filtered topic evidence. Selection is bounded to 50 posts and reports the visible stream size without claiming the entire topic was loaded.discourse_search_postsSearch post-level evidence with Discourse query syntax. Unlike discourse_search, this preserves matched posts, highlighted blurbs, authors, topics, categories, and truthful bounded continuation. This is keyword search, not Discourse AI semantic search.discourse_get_userGet user info. Returns JSON with id, username, name, trust_level, created_at, bio, admin, and moderator.discourse_list_user_postsGet paginated list of user posts/replies. Returns JSON object with posts array (id, topic_id, post_number, slug, title, created_at, excerpt, category_id) and meta (page, limit, has_more).discourse_list_usersList users via admin API. Requires admin API key. Returns ~100 users per page (Discourse's fixed page size). Returns JSON with users array and pagination meta.discourse_get_chat_messagesGet messages from a chat channel. Returns JSON object with channel_id, messages array (id, username, created_at, message, edited, thread_id, in_reply_to_id), and meta.discourse_get_draftRetrieve a specific draft by key. Returns JSON with draft_key, sequence, and parsed data (title, reply, categoryId, tags, action).- +4 more on the listing page
Dns tools 81
check_mxLook up MX records for a domain. Identifies which mail servers receive inbound email for the domain and which email hosting provider is used (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Proofpoint, etc.). Use when asked which email provider hosts inbound mail for a domain, or to see MX record configuration. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_spfLook up and validate the SPF record for a domain. Lists all IP addresses and third-party senders authorised to send email on behalf of the domain, flags syntax errors, and shows the trust surface (which mail servers are whitelisted). Use when you need to know who is permitted to send email as a domain. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_dmarcLook up and validate the DMARC record for a domain. Shows the enforcement level (none/quarantine/reject), alignment mode (strict/relaxed), and aggregate/forensic reporting destinations. Use to determine a domain's DMARC enforcement level, whether it sends aggregate reports, or if it is protected against email impersonation — distinct from check_shadow_domains (which checks TLD variants) and assess_spoofability (composite score). Part of the scan_domain audit.check_dkimLook up DKIM records for a domain. Probes common selectors, validates the signing algorithm used for outgoing email (RSA-1024/2048, Ed25519), and reports key strength. Use to verify that outbound email signatures are cryptographically sound. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_dnssecCheck DNSSEC status for a domain. Verifies whether DNS is tamper-proof and protected against cache poisoning and DNS spoofing attacks by validating DNSKEY and DS records. Reports whether DNSSEC is enabled and validating. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_sslCheck the HTTPS/TLS posture of a domain: HTTPS reachability, HSTS policy, and HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect. Also returns certificate metadata (issuer, expiry date, days remaining, SAN count) read from public Certificate Transparency logs — this describes the most recently LOGGED certificate, which may differ from the one currently served. Origin TLS protocol support and cipher suites are not assessed; legacy-TLS detection is withdrawn because the probe cannot observe the origin handshake. Use to verify HTTPS/HSTS configuration and certificate issuer/expiry. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_mta_stsCheck whether a domain enforces SMTP TLS for inbound mail via MTA-STS, protecting against downgrade attacks. Queries _mta-sts.<domain> and fetches the policy file, reports mode (enforce/testing/none) and MX coverage. Use to verify whether inbound SMTP is protected against TLS downgrade or MITM — distinct from check_dane which uses TLSA pinning. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_nsAudit a domain’s nameserver delegation and redundancy. Identifies the DNS hosting provider and, when the infrastructure probe is available, directly compares parent and child NS sets, verifies authoritative AA responses, and checks required glue addresses. Use to detect stale registrar delegations, lame nameservers, and intermittent resolution risk. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_caaLook up CAA records for a domain. Shows which Certificate Authorities are authorized to issue certificates. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_bimiCheck the BIMI brand-logo record at default._bimi.<domain>. Validates the logo URL (l=) and the presence of mark-certificate authority evidence (a=) — the a= tag is a bare URL, so the certificate type (VMC or CMC) is not determined — and verifies the DMARC enforcement prerequisite (p=quarantine/reject) that mail clients require before displaying a BIMI logo. Returns findings for a missing/malformed record or unmet prerequisites. Use to assess brand-indicator readiness in inboxes. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_tlsrptCheck whether a domain has SMTP TLS Reporting (TLS-RPT) configured. Queries _smtp._tls.<domain> for the v=TLSRPTv1 record and validates its reporting destination (rua= mailto:/https:), flagging a missing record, duplicate records, or an invalid/absent reporting URI. Complements MTA-STS by giving visibility into TLS delivery failures. Part of the scan_domain audit.check_http_securityAudit a domain's browser-facing HTTP security headers over HTTPS. Inspects Content-Security-Policy (flagging unsafe-inline/unsafe-eval/wildcards), X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy, Permissions-Policy, and the cross-origin isolation headers (COOP/COEP/CORP), and detects CDN/WAF interception. Returns per-header findings for missing or weak protections against XSS, clickjacking, and cross-origin attacks. Part of the scan_domain audit.- +69 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.
Discourse MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"discourse-discourse-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@discourse/mcp@latest"
]
}
}
}
Dns
{
"mcpServers": {
"dns": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"-p",
"blackveil-dns",
"blackveil-dns-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Discourse MCP is categorized under Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. Dns belongs to Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Discourse MCP for communication work and Dns for communication.
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.
Discourse MCP is listed as free. Auth: api key required. Dns is listed as free. Auth: no auth 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 discourse-discourse-mcp and dns as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Discourse MCP has a quality signal of 87/100 (Excellent) with 5 views, 0 installs and 77 GitHub stars. Dns has 61/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 9 GitHub stars.