Free the Tools vs Tooldash MCP
A side-by-side look at the Free the Tools and Tooldash MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Free the Tools for file systems work as a local process; choose Tooldash MCP for file systems as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Free the Tools when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the File Systems domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
Choose Tooldash MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the File Systems domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
pdf_info, merge_pdfs, extract_pdf_pages.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Systems | File Systems |
| Quality signal | 41/100 · Fair | 51/100 · 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 | 1 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | Not listed | 4 |
| Full listing | View Free the Tools | View Tooldash MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Free the Tools tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
Tooldash MCP tools 4
pdf_infoPage count, per-page dimensions and metadata of a PDFmerge_pdfsCombine two or more PDFs into one, in the given orderextract_pdf_pagesCopy a page selection (`"1-3,7,10-12"`) into a new PDFclean_textCollapse whitespace, strip invisible characters, normalize punctuation, optionally remove URLs
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.
Free the Tools
{
"mcpServers": {
"free-the-tools": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"freethetools"
]
}
}
}
Tooldash MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"tooldash-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"tooldash-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Free the Tools is categorized under File Systems and uses a local stdio subprocess. Tooldash MCP belongs to File Systems and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Free the Tools for file systems work and Tooldash MCP for file systems.
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.
Free the Tools is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Tooldash MCP 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 free-the-tools and tooldash-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Free the Tools has a quality signal of 41/100 (Fair) with 1 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars. Tooldash MCP has 51/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.
