What is the key difference between Github and Crates?

Github belongs to the Developer Tools category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution, while Crates belongs to the Developer Tools category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution.

How do I install Github or Crates 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 Github and Crates free or paid?

Github operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Crates operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Github lists 9 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Crates lists 5 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Github and Crates 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

Github vs Crates

In-depth architectural comparison of the Github and Crates 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

Github

Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 57/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Crates

Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 51/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Github if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a hosted cloud SSE transport. Choose Crates if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Github when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: search_repos, get_repo, list_repo_issues.

Explore Github Details

Choose Crates when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: search_crates, get_crate, get_versions.

Explore Crates Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	G Github Developer Tools	C Crates Developer Tools
Summary	GitHub MCP — wraps the GitHub public REST API (no auth required for public endpoints)	Crates.io MCP — wraps the crates.io REST API v1 (free, no auth)
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Github Tools (9)

search_repos

Search GitHub repositories by keyword. Returns repo name, description, star count, forks, primary language, and URL. Use when exploring projects or finding code implementations.

get_repo

Look up ONE named repository by its owner/repo slug — "facebook/react", "torvalds/linux", "vercel/next.js". Use this whenever the repository is named in the question. Answers how many stars / forks / watchers a repo has, what license and language it uses, its topics, description, open issue count,…

list_repo_issues

List issues for a GitHub repository by owner and repo name; filters pull requests out automatically. Returns issue number, title, state, labels, author, comment count, URL, and timestamps. Defaults to open issues.

get_user

Get a GitHub user's public profile info. Returns name, bio, company, location, public repo count, followers, and social links. Specify username (e.g., username="torvalds").

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).

Github Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-3": {
      "url": "https://pipeworx.io"
    }
  }
}

Crates Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crates": {
      "url": "https://pipeworx.io"
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Github is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. In contrast, Crates belongs to Developer Tools using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select Github when you need capabilities focused on developer tools and Crates when you require tools for developer tools.

More alternatives to Github More alternatives to Crates Developer Tools category hub Canonical compare URL