HerStack vs Biolit
A side-by-side look at the HerStack and Biolit MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
H
HerStackBiology, Medicine and BioinformaticsRead-only UK women's midlife health guidance: search, PubMed-backed evidence, supplement picks.53GoodAuth: no auth requiredVerdict: choose HerStack for biology, medicine and bioinformatics work; choose Biolit for biology, medicine and bioinformatics as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
HChoose HerStack when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Biology, Medicine and Bioinformatics domain.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
search_guidance, get_topic_guidance, recommend_supplements.
Choose Biolit when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Biology, Medicine and Bioinformatics domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, LLM_PROVIDER, LLM_MODEL, CORE_API_KEY, BIOLIT_CUSTOM_RESOLVERS. - You want tools like
run_pipeline, fetch_pubmed_metadata, fetch_geo_record.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | H HerStack | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Biology, Medicine and Bioinformatics | Biology, Medicine and Bioinformatics |
| Quality signal | 53/100 · Good | 53/100 · Good |
| Install command | Not confirmed yet | Confirmed |
| Transport | — | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | No auth required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | ANTHROPIC_API_KEYOPENAI_API_KEYLLM_PROVIDER |
Tools & capabilities
HerStack tools 5
search_guidanceCall this first when a user describes their situation or asks a question in their own words (for example: 'I'm 47, tired all the time and bloated, what should I take?'). Searches all of HerStack's evidence-led guidance for UK women in midlife and returns the most relevant answer units (FAQ answers, research findings, evidence rows, product cards) with their page URLs, the best-matching topic, and that topic's named product recommendations from the site's reference brand, each with its authorised claim.get_topic_guidanceCall this when the user wants to understand a women's-health topic, not only buy something. Returns HerStack's expert guidance for one topic: plain-language framing, research findings, the evidence table with authorised claims, product criteria, and a FAQ that also explains the condition itself (for perimenopause: what it is, its timeline, when to see a GP).recommend_supplementsCall this when the user wants specific supplement product picks for a topic. Returns HerStack's named product recommendations from the site's reference brand, each with formulation rationale, the GB-authorised health claim verbatim (or a research-context note where none exists), price and purchase link. Provide a topic, or a concern in plain words that routes to one.get_evidenceCall this when the user (or you) wants the studies behind a recommendation or claim. Returns HerStack's evidence rows for a topic or nutrient with the cited studies resolved to PubMed and DOI identifiers, so the claim can be verified rather than trusted.get_product_detailsCall this for one specific product. Returns one HerStack-recommended product by name or SKU: form, authorised claim, tier, price, purchase link, and every topic that recommends it with the rationale.
Biolit tools 12
run_pipelineFetch, optionally screen, and optionally extract a mixed list of PMIDs, DOIs, and/or GEO accessions; write results CSV (and optionally a `.md` summary when `markdown=True`). Accepts `ids` (comma-separated), `bib_path` (`.bib` file), or `ids_file` (plain-text identifier file). Pass `sections` (comma…
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
HerStack
No confirmed install command for HerStack yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
Biolit
{
"mcpServers": {
"biolit": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"biolit"
],
"env": {
"ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY_HERE",
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY_HERE",
"LLM_PROVIDER": "YOUR_LLM_PROVIDER_HERE",
"LLM_MODEL": "YOUR_LLM_MODEL_HERE",
"CORE_API_KEY": "YOUR_CORE_API_KEY_HERE",
"BIOLIT_CUSTOM_RESOLVERS": "YOUR_BIOLIT_CUSTOM_RESOLVERS_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
HerStack is categorized under Biology, Medicine and Bioinformatics and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Biolit belongs to Biology, Medicine and Bioinformatics and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick HerStack for biology, medicine and bioinformatics work and Biolit for biology, medicine and bioinformatics.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client. HerStack has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.
HerStack is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Biolit has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add herstack-2 and biolit as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, HerStack has a quality signal of 53/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Biolit has 53/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 2 GitHub stars.