What is the main functional difference between Claude Task Master and Steel Tools?

Claude Task Master is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. Steel Tools belongs to Developer Tools and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Pick Claude Task Master for developer tools work and Steel Tools for developer tools.

How do I install Claude Task Master or Steel Tools in Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf?

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. Steel Tools has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.

Are Claude Task Master and Steel Tools free to use, or do they require API keys?

Claude Task Master is bring-your-own-key: usage is billed by the API provider you supply a key for. Auth: api key required. Steel Tools 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.

Can I run both Claude Task Master and Steel Tools at the same time in my AI client?

Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add eyaltoledano-claude-task-master and steel-tools as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

Which MCP server has higher directory engagement and quality ratings?

On AllMCPs, Claude Task Master has a quality signal of 61/100 (Good) with 9 views, 0 installs and 28,227 GitHub stars. Steel Tools has 37/100 (Fair) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.

Claude Task Master vs Steel Tools

Claude Task Master vs Steel Tools | AllMCPs

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

Spec	Claude Task Master	S Steel Tools
Category	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal	61/100 · Good	37/100 · Fair
Install command	Confirmed	Not confirmed yet
Transport	Local subprocess (stdio)	—
Auth	API key required	Not declared
Pricing	BYOK (pay the provider)	Not declared
Required env vars	`ANTHROPIC_API_KEYOPENAI_API_KEYGOOGLE_API_KEYPERPLEXITY_API_KEYXAI_API_KEYOPENROUTER_API_KEYMISTRAL_API_KEYTASK_MASTER_TOOLS`	None listed
Verified owner	Community listing	Community listing
GitHub stars	28,227	—
Directory activity	9 views 0 installs 0 upvotes	0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
Tools	Not listed	Not listed
Full listing	View Claude Task Master	View Steel Tools

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.