Discourse MCP vs NameWheel — MCP Server Comparison | AllMCPs
Discourse MCP vs NameWheel
A side-by-side look at the Discourse MCP and NameWheel 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 NameWheel for communication. 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.
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).
spin_wheelPick one or more winners at random from a list of names or options, and show the wheel spinning to the result in the chat. Use it whenever the person wants something chosen at random: a student to answer, who goes first, where to eat, a raffle winner among friends. Works without an account. The pick is fair (a cryptographic random number generator), but it is not a certified record; when other people need to be able to check the result later, use certified_draw instead.
make_teamsSplit a list of names into random teams or groups of even size, and show them as cards in the chat. Use it for class groups, project teams, game sides, rotations. Give either how many teams or how many people per team. Works without an account.
open_wheel_linkMake a namewheel.org link that opens the full NameWheel wheel with these names already loaded, for spinning on a projector, a stream or a shared screen with sound, modes and themes. Works without an account. Commas inside a name become spaces in the link.
certified_drawRun a TrueSpin certified draw on NameWheel: the winner is sealed by NameWheel's server before it is revealed, randomness from this connection is added, and the result is published on a permanent public proof page (namewheel.org/v/CODE) that anyone can check, with a button that recomputes the draw. Use it when the result must be provable to other people: a class prize, a team decision, a draw announced to a group. IMPORTANT: the title, every entry and the winner become public on the proof page, so only use names the person is happy to publish, and tell them so. Needs a connected NameWheel account (free). To draw against a list locked earlier with freeze_list, pass frozen_code instead of entries.
freeze_listLock a list of entries in public before a draw, at namewheel.org/f/CODE, with a fingerprint and the exact time. Nobody can add or remove a name after that, and when certified_draw later uses this list (frozen_code), the frozen page links to the result. Use it when entries close before the draw happens. The title and every entry are public. Needs a connected NameWheel account (free).
verify_drawCheck whether a NameWheel certified draw is genuine, from its code or its namewheel.org/v/ link: recomputes the winner from the published secret, the added randomness and the entries, checks the commitment made before the spin, and checks NameWheel's Ed25519 signature on the record. Also says how many draws the host ran on this exact list. Use it when someone asks whether a draw or a giveaway result was real. Works without an account.
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.
No confirmed install command for NameWheel yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
Frequently asked questions
Discourse MCP is categorized under Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. NameWheel belongs to Communication and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Pick Discourse MCP for communication work and NameWheel 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. NameWheel has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.
Discourse MCP is listed as free. Auth: api key required. NameWheel is listed as free. Auth: api key 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 namewheel 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 86/100 (Excellent) with 4 views, 0 installs and 77 GitHub stars. NameWheel has 53/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.
my_drawsList this account's recent NameWheel certified draws (or frozen lists) with their winners and proof links, newest first. Needs a connected NameWheel account.
check_planSay what this NameWheel connection can do: without an account (spins, teams, wheel links, checking draws) or with a connected account (certified draws, frozen lists, the account's draws), and how many certified draws are left today. Use it when the person asks about limits, their account, or why a request was refused.