What is the key difference between Guardvibe and Shellward?

Guardvibe belongs to the Security category with local stdio execution, while Shellward belongs to the Security category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Guardvibe or Shellward 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 Guardvibe and Shellward free or paid?

Guardvibe operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Shellward operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Guardvibe lists 39 tools with 2 views and 5 GitHub stars. Shellward lists 6 tools with 3 views and 136 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Guardvibe and Shellward 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

Guardvibe vs Shellward

In-depth architectural comparison of the Guardvibe and Shellward 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

Guardvibe

Security · Local stdio

Quality: 60/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Shellward

Security · Local stdio

Quality: 56/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Guardvibe if you need specialized Security tools running via a local process. Choose Shellward if your workspace requires Security integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Guardvibe when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: check_code, check_project, scan_directory.

Explore Guardvibe Details

Choose Shellward when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Security domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: SHELLWARD_MODE, SHELLWARD_LOCALE, SHELLWARD_THRESHOLD, SHELLWARD_BASELINE_PATH.
Primary tools included: Stdio MCP server with local execution, Prompt injection detection for Chinese and English text, PII, credential, and sensitive-data scanning.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Guardvibe goklab Security	Shellward jnMetaCode Security
Summary	Security MCP for vibe coding with 330 rules and 29 tools. Purpose-built for AI-generated code — scans Next.js, Supabase, Clerk, Stripe, Prisma, Hono, GraphQL, and 25+ modules. Cross-file taint analysis, host security audit, auto-fix, SARIF export, pre-commit hook, and CVE version detection. Zero config, runs locally.	AI Agent Security Middleware & MCP Server with 8-layer defense including prompt injection detection, DLP data flow tracking, command blocking, and PII detection. 7 MCP tools, zero dependencies.
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Guardvibe Tools (39)

check_code

Analyze a code snippet for security issues

check_project

Scan multiple files with security scoring (A-F)

scan_directory

Scan a project directory from disk

scan_staged

Pre-commit scan of git-staged files — **diff-aware** (blocks only newly-staged lines; `diff_aware:false` for whole files)

scan_dependencies

Check all dependencies for known CVEs (OSV) — annotates each vulnerable package with **reachability** (is it actually imported in your source?)

scan_secrets

Detect leaked secrets, API keys, tokens

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).

Guardvibe Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

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

Shellward Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jnmetacode-shellward": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "shellward"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SHELLWARD_MODE": "YOUR_SHELLWARD_MODE_HERE",
        "SHELLWARD_LOCALE": "YOUR_SHELLWARD_LOCALE_HERE",
        "SHELLWARD_THRESHOLD": "YOUR_SHELLWARD_THRESHOLD_HERE",
        "SHELLWARD_BASELINE_PATH": "YOUR_SHELLWARD_BASELINE_PATH_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Guardvibe is categorized under Security and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Shellward belongs to Security using local stdio subprocess. Select Guardvibe when you need capabilities focused on security and Shellward when you require tools for security.

More alternatives to Guardvibe More alternatives to Shellward Security category hub