What is the key difference between Foundation Discovery and Open Notebook?

Foundation Discovery belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution, while Open Notebook belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Foundation Discovery or Open Notebook 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 Foundation Discovery and Open Notebook free or paid?

Foundation Discovery operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Open Notebook operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Foundation Discovery lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Open Notebook lists 1 tools with 0 views and 41 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Foundation Discovery and Open Notebook 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 Foundation Discovery or Open Notebook 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 Foundation Discovery and Open Notebook free to use, or do they require API keys?

Foundation Discovery is listed under a Free / Open Source model with No auth required . Open Notebook 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 Foundation Discovery and Open Notebook at the same time in my AI client?

Yes! MCP clients support multi-server orchestration. You can include both foundation-discovery and open-notebook 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, Foundation Discovery has a Quality Score of 27 /100 ( Emerging ) with 0 views, 0 installs, and 0 GitHub stars. Open Notebook holds a Quality Score of 47 /100 ( Fair ) with 0 views, 0 installs, and 41 GitHub stars.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Foundation Discovery vs Open Notebook

In-depth architectural comparison of the Foundation Discovery and Open Notebook 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

Foundation Discovery

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 27/100 (Emerging) | Auth: No auth required

Open Notebook

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 47/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Foundation Discovery if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a local process. Choose Open Notebook if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Foundation Discovery when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Foundation Discovery Details

Choose Open Notebook when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: search_capabilities.

Explore Open Notebook Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	F Foundation Discovery Developer Tools	O Open Notebook Developer Tools
Summary	Foundation discovery and grant intelligence for nonprofits. 174K+ US funders, IRS 990 data.	MCP server that wraps the Open Notebook API
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Foundation Discovery Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

Open Notebook Tools (1)

search_capabilities

Progressive tool discovery

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).

Foundation Discovery Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "foundation-discovery": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "foundation-discovery"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Open Notebook Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "open-notebook": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/inspector"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Foundation Discovery is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Open Notebook belongs to Developer Tools using local stdio subprocess. Select Foundation Discovery when you need capabilities focused on developer tools and Open Notebook when you require tools for developer tools.

More alternatives to Foundation Discovery More alternatives to Open Notebook Developer Tools category hub