Discourse MCP vs MCP Server
A side-by-side look at the Discourse MCP and MCP Server 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 MCP Server 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 MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
SVN_API_KEY, SVN_API_BASE, SVN_LANG, SVN_POLL_SECONDS. - You want tools like
get_balance, list_countries, list_services.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Communication | Communication |
| Quality signal | 87/100 · Excellent | 65/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | API key required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | SVN_API_KEYSVN_API_BASESVN_LANGSVN_POLL_SECONDS |
| Verified owner | Verified | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 77 | 545 |
| Directory activity | 5 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 16 | 9 |
| Full listing | View Discourse MCP | View MCP Server |
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
MCP Server tools 9
get_balanceCurrent account balance. Ordering a number needs a funded balance; there is no free tier.list_countriesEvery country the numbers can come from, with its id and operators. Use the id in order_number.list_servicesServices available in a country, best match first. Order the code of the site you are registering with: a number bought for one service does not receive another service's SMS. Search by site name or domain, both work. The codes are arbitrary, so look them up instead of guessing: uk is Airbnb, not the United Kingdom. deliveredPercent is null when the pair has no statistics yet, which is the common case; then judge the pair by how many numbers are online. When the site is not in the catalogue at all, order notInList (ot), which receives SMS from any sender that is not in the list.order_numberOrder a private number for one service in one country. The number is held for 20 minutes and belongs to this activation alone. Money is held now and charged when the code arrives. The service code has to be the one for the site you are registering with, otherwise its SMS goes to a different pool and never reaches you.wait_for_codeWait for the verification code on an ordered number. Polls on its own and returns the code itself, already parsed out of the SMS. Trigger the SMS on the target service first.finish_activationClose an activation after the code was used. Do this on every success: a forgotten activation holds money until it expires.cancel_activationCancel an activation when no code arrived; the money returns to the balance in full. Can be called right after ordering. If the API answers that it is too early, wait a couple of minutes and repeat.request_another_smsAsk for one more code on the same number, for a password reset or a re-send. Works only after a first code has already arrived; before that the API refuses it.totp_codeCompute the authenticator code for an account whose second factor was set up with a shared secret. Runs locally by RFC 6238: the secret never leaves this machine.
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"
]
}
}
}
MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-server-160": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"sv-number-mcp"
],
"env": {
"SVN_API_KEY": "YOUR_SVN_API_KEY_HERE",
"SVN_API_BASE": "YOUR_SVN_API_BASE_HERE",
"SVN_LANG": "YOUR_SVN_LANG_HERE",
"SVN_POLL_SECONDS": "YOUR_SVN_POLL_SECONDS_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Discourse MCP is categorized under Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. MCP Server belongs to Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Discourse MCP for communication work and MCP Server 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. MCP Server 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 discourse-discourse-mcp and mcp-server-160 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. MCP Server has 65/100 (Great) with 2 views, 0 installs and 545 GitHub stars.