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

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

How do I install Unsplash MCP Server or Stocky 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 Stocky free or paid?

Unsplash MCP Server operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required). Stocky operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Unsplash MCP Server lists 5 tools with 1 views and 236 GitHub stars. Stocky lists 6 tools with 1 views and 27 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Unsplash MCP Server and Stocky 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 Stocky

In-depth architectural comparison of the Unsplash MCP Server and Stocky 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: 35/100 (Fair) | Auth: API Key required

Stocky

Search & Data Extraction · Local stdio

Quality: 55/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose Unsplash MCP Server if you need specialized Search & Data Extraction tools running via a local process. Choose Stocky 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.
Primary tools included: Keyword-based image search, Color filter support, Orientation filter support.

Explore Unsplash MCP Server Details

Choose Stocky 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: PEXELS_API_KEY, UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY, ENABLE_ATTRIBUTION_LINKS, STOCKY_CACHE_TTL, STOCKY_HTTP_TIMEOUT, STOCKY_MAX_DOWNLOAD_BYTES, STOCKY_DOWNLOAD_ROOT, STOCKY_LOG_LEVEL.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Unsplash MCP Server hellokaton Search & Data Extraction	Stocky joelio Search & Data Extraction
Summary	) 🐍 ☁️ - A MCP server for Unsplash image search.	An MCP server for searching and downloading royalty-free stock photography from Pexels and Unsplash. Features multi-provider search, rich metadata, pagination support, and async performance for AI assistants to find and access high-quality images.
Category & Scope	Search & Data Extraction

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Unsplash MCP Server Tools (5)

Keyword-based image search

Color filter support

Orientation filter support

Custom sorting options

Pagination of results

Stocky Tools (6)

Concurrent multi-provider search (Pexels and Unsplash)

Rich metadata including image sizes, photographer, tags

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": {
    "hellokaton-unsplash-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "hellokaton-unsplash-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "YOUR_UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Stocky Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "joelio-stocky": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "stocky-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "YOUR_PEXELS_API_KEY_HERE",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "YOUR_UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY_HERE",
        "ENABLE_ATTRIBUTION_LINKS": "YOUR_ENABLE_ATTRIBUTION_LINKS_HERE",
        "STOCKY_CACHE_TTL": "YOUR_STOCKY_CACHE_TTL_HERE",
        "STOCKY_HTTP_TIMEOUT": "YOUR_STOCKY_HTTP_TIMEOUT_HERE",
        "STOCKY_MAX_DOWNLOAD_BYTES": "YOUR_STOCKY_MAX_DOWNLOAD_BYTES_HERE",
        "STOCKY_DOWNLOAD_ROOT": "YOUR_STOCKY_DOWNLOAD_ROOT_HERE",
        "STOCKY_LOG_LEVEL": "YOUR_STOCKY_LOG_LEVEL_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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