What is the key difference between Cortex and SandBase CLI?

Cortex belongs to the Aggregators category with local stdio execution, while SandBase CLI belongs to the Aggregators category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Cortex or SandBase CLI 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 Cortex and SandBase CLI free or paid?

Cortex operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required). SandBase CLI operates under a Free / Open Source model (OAuth 2.0).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Cortex lists 6 tools with 3 views and 21 GitHub stars. SandBase CLI lists 6 tools with 6 views and 61 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Cortex and SandBase CLI 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

Cortex vs SandBase CLI

In-depth architectural comparison of the Cortex and SandBase CLI 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

Cortex

Aggregators · Local stdio

Quality: 57/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

SandBase CLI

Aggregators · Local stdio

Quality: 60/100 (Good) | Auth: OAuth 2.0

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

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Cortex when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Aggregators domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
You have access to required keys: CORTEX_API_KEY, CORTEX_SERVER_AUTH_TOKEN.
Primary tools included: Watches project files (md, ts, js, py, json, yaml) for changes, Extracts entities and infers relationships using LLMs, Detects contradictions and duplicates automatically.

Explore Cortex Details

Choose SandBase CLI when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Aggregators domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: OAuth 2.0 (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: sandbase_discover, sandbase_inspect, sandbase_run.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Cortex gzoonet Aggregators	S SandBase CLI Aggregators
Summary	Local-first knowledge graph for developers. Watches project files, extracts entities and relationships via LLMs, builds a queryable knowledge graph with web dashboard and CLI. Provides 4 MCP tools: getstatus, listprojects, findentity, querycortex.	Open-source CLI and MCP server for discovering and calling 2,000+ AI models and APIs through one consistent developer interface.
Category & Scope	Aggregators

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Cortex Tools (6)

Watches project files (md, ts, js, py, json, yaml) for changes

Extracts entities and infers relationships using LLMs

Detects contradictions and duplicates automatically

Supports semantic search combining keyword and vector similarity

Provides web dashboard with live feed and query explorer

MCP server exposing tools: getstatus, listprojects, findentity, querycortex

SandBase CLI Tools (6)

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).

Cortex Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gzoonet-cortex": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@gzoo/cortex"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CORTEX_API_KEY": "YOUR_CORTEX_API_KEY_HERE",
        "CORTEX_SERVER_AUTH_TOKEN": "YOUR_CORTEX_SERVER_AUTH_TOKEN_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

SandBase CLI Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sandbase-cli": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "https://github.com/sandbaseai/cli/releases/download/v0.1.17/sandbaseai-cli-0.1.17.tgz",
        "connect"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Cortex is categorized under Aggregators and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, SandBase CLI belongs to Aggregators using local stdio subprocess. Select Cortex when you need capabilities focused on aggregators and SandBase CLI when you require tools for aggregators.

More alternatives to Cortex More alternatives to SandBase CLI Aggregators category hub