Fetch vs Locus
A side-by-side look at the Fetch and Locus MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Fetch for search & data extraction work as a local process; choose Locus for search & data extraction as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Fetch 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.
Choose Locus when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Search & Data Extraction domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Search & Data Extraction | Search & Data Extraction |
| Quality signal | 76/100 · Great | 45/100 · Fair |
| 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 | Verified | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 91,405 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 5 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | Not listed | Not listed |
| Full listing | View Fetch | View Locus |
Tools & capabilities
Fetch tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
Locus tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from 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.
Fetch
{
"mcpServers": {
"fetch": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"mcp-server-fetch"
]
}
}
}
Locus
{
"mcpServers": {
"locus-3": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"plugins"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Fetch is categorized under Search & Data Extraction and uses a local stdio subprocess. Locus belongs to Search & Data Extraction and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Fetch for search & data extraction work and Locus for search & data extraction.
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.
Fetch is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Locus 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 fetch and locus-3 as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Fetch has a quality signal of 76/100 (Great) with 5 views, 0 installs and 91,405 GitHub stars. Locus has 45/100 (Fair) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.