What is the key difference between Gdc and Notra?

Gdc belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution, while Notra belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Gdc or Notra 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 Gdc and Notra free or paid?

Gdc operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Notra operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Gdc lists 4 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Notra lists 76 tools with 0 views and 3 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Gdc and Notra 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.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Gdc vs Notra

In-depth architectural comparison of the Gdc and Notra 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

Gdc

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 41/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Notra

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 52/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Gdc if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a local process. Choose Notra 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 Gdc 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: list_projects, get_project, search_cases.

Explore Gdc Details

Choose Notra 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: list_posts, get_post, update_post.

Explore Notra Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	G Gdc Developer Tools	N Notra Developer Tools
Summary	NCI Genomic Data Commons (GDC) MCP.	Access the Notra API for managing posts, brand identities, and integrations.
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Gdc Tools (4)

list_projects

List NCI Genomic Data Commons cancer-genomics projects (TCGA, TARGET, CPTAC, etc.), ranked by case count. Returns project_id, name, program, primary site(s) and disease type(s). Keyless, open-access metadata.

get_project

Look up a single NCI GDC project by project_id (e.g. "TCGA-BRCA") and get its details plus summary counts (case_count, file_count). Keyless, open-access metadata.

search_cases

Search NCI GDC cancer cases (patients/samples) by primary site and/or project. Returns case_id, submitter_id, primary site, disease type and project_id. Keyless, open-access metadata.

search_files

Search NCI GDC genomic data files by project and/or data category (e.g. "Transcriptome Profiling", "Simple Nucleotide Variation", "DNA Methylation"). Returns file_id, file_name, data category/type/format, access level and file size. Keyless, open-access metadata.

Notra Tools (76)

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).

Gdc Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

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

Notra Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "notra": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@usenotra/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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

More alternatives to Gdc More alternatives to Notra Developer Tools category hub