Exa MCP Server vs Psquare
A side-by-side look at the Exa MCP Server and Psquare MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Exa MCP Server for search & data extraction work as a local process; choose Psquare for education as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Exa MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Search & Data Extraction domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
web_search_exa, web_fetch_exa.
Choose Psquare when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Education domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
submit_mfa_code, list_schools, list_school_features.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search & Data Extraction | Education |
| Quality signal | 73/100 · Great | 59/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | No auth required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 5,162 | 14 |
| Directory activity | 11 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 2 | 48 |
| Full listing | View Exa MCP Server | View Psquare |
Tools & capabilities
Exa MCP Server tools 2
web_search_exaSearch the web for any topic and get clean, ready-to-use content. Best for: Finding current information, news, facts, people, companies, or answering questions about any topic. Returns: Clean text content from top search results. Query tips: describe the ideal page, not keywords. "blog post comparing React and Vue performance" not "React vs Vue". Use category:people / category:company to search through Linkedin profiles / companies respectively. If highlights are insufficient, follow up with web_fetch_exa on the best URLs.web_fetch_exaRead a webpage's full content as clean markdown. Use after web_search_exa when highlights are insufficient or to read any URL. Best for: Extracting full content from known URLs. Batch multiple URLs in one call. Returns: Clean text content and metadata from the page(s).
Psquare tools 48
submit_mfa_codeSubmit a 6-digit MFA verification code to complete ParentSquare login. When a ParentSquare tool returns an MFA error, a verification code is sent to your email. Check your email for the code and use this tool to complete authentication. Args: code: The 6-digit verification code from your emaillist_schoolsList available schools and students in your ParentSquare account. Returns JSON with schools, students, and your user ID. Use the school_id and student_id values from this output in other tools. For school contact info (phone, address), use get_directory(school_id).list_school_featuresList features available for a specific school by parsing its sidebar navigation. Returns a list of available sections (Feed, Messages, Calendar, Photos, etc.). Different schools may have different features enabled. Args: school_id: School ID (use list_schools to find available IDs)get_feedsGet recent posts from a school's feed with titles, authors, dates, and summaries. Returns a paginated list of posts. Use get_post with the feed_id to see full details. Args: school_id: School ID page: Page number for pagination (default: 1)get_postGet full details of a specific post including body text, comments, and attachments. Image attachments are returned inline so you can see their contents directly. PDF attachments have their text extracted and included inline. Args: feed_id: Post/feed ID (shown as feed_id in get_feeds results)list_conversationsList message conversations for a school. Returns conversation IDs, participants, and previews. To read a full conversation, call get_conversation with BOTH the same school_id used here AND the chat_id shown in the results. Args: school_id: School ID (use list_schools to find available IDs)get_conversationRead a specific message conversation thread with all messages. IMPORTANT: Both school_id and chat_id are required. Args: school_id: School ID (same school_id used in list_conversations) chat_id: Conversation/chat ID (from list_conversations results)get_calendar_eventsGet calendar events for a school using the ICS calendar export. Returns JSON array of events with title, start/end times, location, and description. Note: Some schools post monthly calendars as images or PDFs in the feed instead of using the ICS calendar. If this returns no events, use get_feeds to browse recent posts — look for posts with "calendar" in the title or image/PDF attachments. Use get_post to view them (images are returned inline so you can read them). Args: school_id: School IDlist_photosList photos posted for a school. Returns photo URLs that can be used with download_file. Args: school_id: School ID page: Page number (default: 1)list_filesList files and documents posted for a school. Returns file URLs for download_file. Args: school_id: School IDdownload_fileDownload a photo, video, or file to local disk from a ParentSquare URL. Returns the local file path where the file was saved. Use URLs from list_photos, list_files, or get_post attachment results. Args: url: The file URL (from list_photos, list_files, or get_post results) filename: Optional custom filename. If not provided, uses the original filename from the URL.get_directoryList school contact info and staff directory with names, roles, and phone numbers. Returns JSON with school details (phone, address) and staff records. Use get_staff_member(school_id, user_id) for full staff details including email, photo, and office hours. Args: school_id: School ID- +36 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.
Exa MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"exa-labs-exa-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"exa-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}
Psquare
{
"mcpServers": {
"psquare": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"parentsquare-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Exa MCP Server is categorized under Search & Data Extraction and uses a local stdio subprocess. Psquare belongs to Education and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Exa MCP Server for search & data extraction work and Psquare for education.
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.
Exa MCP Server is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Psquare 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 exa-labs-exa-mcp-server and psquare as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Exa MCP Server has a quality signal of 73/100 (Great) with 11 views, 0 installs and 5,162 GitHub stars. Psquare has 59/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 14 GitHub stars.