Google Scholar vs Gsearch

In-depth architectural comparison of the Google Scholar and Gsearch 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.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Google Scholar 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 Google Scholar Details

Choose Gsearch 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 Gsearch Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Google Scholar Developer Tools	Gsearch Developer Tools
Summary	Search Google Scholar for academic papers, citations, and author profiles.	Free Google Search with inline citations for any MCP-compatible AI tool.
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

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).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-scholar": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=johnvc/google-scholar-api",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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

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