What is the key difference between Unsplash MCP Server and Crw?

Unsplash MCP Server belongs to the Search & Data Extraction category with local stdio execution, while Crw belongs to the Search & Data Extraction category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Unsplash MCP Server or Crw 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 Unsplash MCP Server and Crw free or paid?

Unsplash MCP Server operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required). Crw operates under a Freemium model (OAuth 2.0).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Unsplash MCP Server lists 21 tools with 2 views and 2 GitHub stars. Crw lists 8 tools with 4 views and 1,043 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Unsplash MCP Server and Crw 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

Unsplash MCP Server vs Crw

In-depth architectural comparison of the Unsplash MCP Server and Crw 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

Unsplash MCP Server

Search & Data Extraction · Local stdio

Quality: 56/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Crw

Search & Data Extraction · Local stdio

Quality: 68/100 (Great) | Auth: OAuth 2.0

Verdict Summary: Choose Unsplash MCP Server if you need specialized Search & Data Extraction tools running via a local process. Choose Crw if your workspace requires Search & Data Extraction integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Unsplash MCP Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Search & Data Extraction 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: UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY, UNSPLASH_APP_NAME, UNSPLASH_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, UNSPLASH_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET, UNSPLASH_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI, UNSPLASH_OAUTH_REFRESH_TOKEN.
Primary tools included: unsplash_random_photo, unsplash_list_photos, unsplash_get_photo.

Explore Unsplash MCP Server Details

Choose Crw when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Search & Data Extraction domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: OAuth 2.0 (Freemium).
You have access to required keys: .

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Unsplash MCP Server hanoak Search & Data Extraction	Crw us Search & Data Extraction
Summary	Unsplash API server exposing 21 tools across photos, search, users, collections, topics, and stats. Ships Unsplash-guideline compliance built in — ready-to-use attribution with UTM parameters, a download-tracking tool, rate-limit surfacing, and contentfilter=high by default. Install via npx -y @hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server.	fastCRW — open-source (AGPL-3.0), self-hostable Rust web crawler & search API for AI agents. Tools: scrape, crawl, map, and SearXNG-backed search. Single 6MB static binary; reproducible 1K-URL benchmarks faster than hosted alternatives. Hosted MCP at fastcrw.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, OAuth) or self-host.
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Unsplash MCP Server Tools (21)

unsplash_random_photo

portrait`\

unsplash_list_photos

The latest featured photos, paginated.

unsplash_get_photo

A single photo by ID or slug, full detail.

unsplash_photo_statistics

Download/view totals for a photo over N days.

unsplash_track_download

Registers a download on real use; returns a fresh, usable download URL.

unsplash_search_photos

editorial`\

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).

Unsplash MCP Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hanoak-unsplash-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "YOUR_UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY_HERE",
        "UNSPLASH_APP_NAME": "YOUR_UNSPLASH_APP_NAME_HERE",
        "UNSPLASH_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID": "YOUR_UNSPLASH_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID_HERE",
        "UNSPLASH_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET": "YOUR_UNSPLASH_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET_HERE",
        "UNSPLASH_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI": "YOUR_UNSPLASH_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI_HERE",
        "UNSPLASH_OAUTH_REFRESH_TOKEN": "YOUR_UNSPLASH_OAUTH_REFRESH_TOKEN_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Crw Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "us-crw": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "crw-mcp@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CRW_API_KEY": "YOUR_CRW_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Unsplash MCP Server is categorized under Search & Data Extraction and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Crw belongs to Search & Data Extraction using local stdio subprocess. Select Unsplash MCP Server when you need capabilities focused on search & data extraction and Crw when you require tools for search & data extraction.

More alternatives to Unsplash MCP Server More alternatives to Crw Search & Data Extraction category hub