Figma Context MCP AIR vs Figma MCP Server
A side-by-side look at the Figma Context MCP AIR and Figma MCP Server MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Figma Context MCP AIR for architecture & design work as a local process; choose Figma MCP Server for architecture & design over a hosted endpoint. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Figma Context MCP AIR when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Architecture & Design domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
FIGMA_API_KEY, FIGMA_OAUTH_TOKEN, PORT, OUTPUT_FORMAT, SKIP_IMAGE_DOWNLOADS, NODE_ENV. - You want tools like
download_figma_images, get_screenshot, get_metadata.
Choose Figma MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Architecture & Design domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Architecture & Design | Architecture & Design |
| Quality signal | 52/100 · Good | 47/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Remote HTTP/SSE |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | FIGMA_API_KEYFIGMA_OAUTH_TOKENPORTOUTPUT_FORMATSKIP_IMAGE_DOWNLOADSNODE_ENV | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 1 | 2,104 |
| Directory activity | 7 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 7 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View Figma Context MCP AIR | View Figma MCP Server |
Tools & capabilities
Figma Context MCP AIR tools 7
download_figma_imagesDownloads PNG or SVG renders of Figma nodes to your local filesystem.get_screenshotCaptures a Figma node as a 2x PNG and saves it to disk. Useful for visual validation.get_metadataReturns a sparse XML representation of the node hierarchy (depth=2). Use this for quick layer discovery before fetching full design context.get_variable_defsFetches all design tokens from a Figma file — variable collections (colors, spacing, typography) and published styles (effects, text styles, fill styles). Returns data with CSS custom property syntax.whoamiReturns the authenticated user's Figma account information (name, email, plan tier). Useful for verifying your API key is working.create_design_system_rulesGenerates a comprehensive markdown template for project-specific design system rules. Tailored to your language and framework combination. Save the output to `CLAUDE.md` or your project's AI instructions file.get_figjamExtracts content from a FigJam board — sticky notes, connectors, shapes, sections — as XML with screenshot URLs.
Figma MCP Server 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.
Figma Context MCP AIR
{
"mcpServers": {
"figma-context-mcp-air": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"figma-context-mcp-air"
],
"env": {
"FIGMA_API_KEY": "YOUR_FIGMA_API_KEY_HERE",
"FIGMA_OAUTH_TOKEN": "YOUR_FIGMA_OAUTH_TOKEN_HERE",
"PORT": "YOUR_PORT_HERE",
"OUTPUT_FORMAT": "YOUR_OUTPUT_FORMAT_HERE",
"SKIP_IMAGE_DOWNLOADS": "YOUR_SKIP_IMAGE_DOWNLOADS_HERE",
"NODE_ENV": "YOUR_NODE_ENV_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Figma MCP Server
{
"mcpServers": {
"figma-mcp-server": {
"url": "https://mcp.figma.com/mcp"
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Figma Context MCP AIR is categorized under Architecture & Design and uses a local stdio subprocess. Figma MCP Server belongs to Architecture & Design and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Pick Figma Context MCP AIR for architecture & design work and Figma MCP Server for architecture & design.
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.
Figma Context MCP AIR has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Figma MCP Server 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 figma-context-mcp-air and figma-mcp-server as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Figma Context MCP AIR has a quality signal of 52/100 (Good) with 7 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars. Figma MCP Server has 47/100 (Fair) with 2 views, 0 installs and 2,104 GitHub stars.