What is the key difference between Emilia Protocol and Guardrails?

Emilia Protocol belongs to the Security category with local stdio execution, while Guardrails belongs to the Security category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution.

How do I install Emilia Protocol or Guardrails 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 Emilia Protocol and Guardrails free or paid?

Emilia Protocol operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Guardrails operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Emilia Protocol lists 6 tools with 2 views and 798 GitHub stars. Guardrails lists 6 tools with 0 views and 1 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Emilia Protocol and Guardrails 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.

How do I install Emilia Protocol or Guardrails in Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf?

Both servers follow the standard Model Context Protocol configuration format. Simply copy the JSON block from the configuration section above and paste it into your AI client's mcpServers configuration object (for instance in claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json ), then completely restart or refresh the application.

Are Emilia Protocol and Guardrails free to use, or do they require API keys?

Emilia Protocol is listed under a Free / Open Source model with No auth required . Guardrails operates under a Free / Open Source model with No auth required . If environment variables are required (such as API keys), be sure to define them under the env key in your MCP client's configuration file.

Can I run both Emilia Protocol and Guardrails at the same time in my AI client?

Yes! MCP clients support multi-server orchestration. You can include both emiliaprotocol-emilia-protocol and guardrails as distinct keys inside the single mcpServers object in your configuration file. Your AI assistant will automatically select and call the appropriate tool from either server during chat sessions.

Which MCP server has higher directory engagement and quality ratings?

On AllMCPs, Emilia Protocol has a Quality Score of 65 /100 ( Great ) with 2 views, 0 installs, and 798 GitHub stars. Guardrails holds a Quality Score of 49 /100 ( Fair ) with 0 views, 0 installs, and 1 GitHub stars.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Emilia Protocol vs Guardrails

In-depth architectural comparison of the Emilia Protocol and Guardrails 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

Emilia Protocol

Security · Local stdio

Quality: 65/100 (Great) | Auth: No auth required

Guardrails

Security · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 49/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Emilia Protocol if you need specialized Security tools running via a local process. Choose Guardrails if your workspace requires Security integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Emilia Protocol when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: Named-human approval for irreversible actions, Offline-verifiable Ed25519 Trust Receipts, Trust profile access.

Explore Emilia Protocol Details

Choose Guardrails when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: validate_input, filter_output, check_policy.

Explore Guardrails Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Emilia Protocol emiliaprotocol Security	G Guardrails Security
Summary	Human sign-off + trust receipts for AI agents: requires a named human's approval before an irreversible action (payment release, record change, deploy), then mints an offline-verifiable Ed25519 Trust Receipt. Also exposes trust profiles, receipt verification, disputes, and delegation. Apache-2.0; policy engine formally verified. Install: npx -y @emilia-protocol/mcp-server.	AI Agent Guardrails MCP server - security layer
Category & Scope	Security

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Emilia Protocol Tools (6)

Named-human approval for irreversible actions

Offline-verifiable Ed25519 Trust Receipts

Trust profile access

Receipt verification

Dispute handling

Delegation support

Guardrails Tools (6)

validate_input

Validate and sanitize incoming requests through all guardrail checks

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).

Emilia Protocol Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "emiliaprotocol-emilia-protocol": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@emilia-protocol/mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Guardrails Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "guardrails": {
      "url": "https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT"
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Emilia Protocol is categorized under Security and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Guardrails belongs to Security using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select Emilia Protocol when you need capabilities focused on security and Guardrails when you require tools for security.

More alternatives to Emilia Protocol More alternatives to Guardrails Security category hub