A side-by-side look at the HerStack and Clinicaltrialsgov MCP Server MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose HerStack for biology, medicine and bioinformatics work; choose Clinicaltrialsgov MCP Server for biology, medicine and bioinformatics as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
search_guidance, get_topic_guidance, recommend_supplements.clinicaltrials_search_studies, clinicaltrials_get_study_record, clinicaltrials_get_study_count.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 | 61/100 · 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 | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 99 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 5 | 7 |
| Full listing | View HerStack | View Clinicaltrialsgov MCP Server |
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.clinicaltrials_search_studiesSearch studies with full-text and field-specific queries, status/phase/geographic filters, pagination, sorting, and field selectionclinicaltrials_get_study_recordFetch a single study by NCT ID — full protocol record with optional location/outcome/reference capsclinicaltrials_get_study_countFast total study count for a query, without fetching dataclinicaltrials_get_field_valuesDiscover valid values for API fields, with per-value study countsclinicaltrials_get_field_definitionsResolve valid field names — keyword search, path drill-down, or top-level overviewclinicaltrials_get_study_resultsFetch posted results — outcomes, adverse events, participant flow, baseline — for completed studiesclinicaltrials_find_eligibleMatch patient demographics and conditions to candidate recruiting trials, without checking inclusion/exclusion criteriaPaste 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.
No confirmed install command for HerStack yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
{
"mcpServers": {
"clinicaltrialsgov-mcp-server": {
"command": "bunx",
"args": [
"clinicaltrialsgov-mcp-server@latest"
]
}
}
}