A side-by-side look at the HerStack and Medical MCP 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 Medical MCP 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.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 | 60/100 · Good |
| Install command | Not confirmed yet | Confirmed |
| Transport | — | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | No auth required | No auth required |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 118 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 3 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 5 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View HerStack | View Medical MCP |
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.No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
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.
No confirmed install command for HerStack yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
{
"mcpServers": {
"jamesanz-medical-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"medical-mcp"
]
}
}
}