A side-by-side look at the HerStack and Pubmed Search 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 Pubmed Search for biology, medicine and bioinformatics over a hosted endpoint. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
search_guidance, get_topic_guidance, recommend_supplements.search_pubmed, get_abstract, summarize_findings.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 | 51/100 · Good |
| Install command | Not confirmed yet | Confirmed |
| Transport | — | Remote HTTP/SSE |
| Auth | No auth required | API key required |
| Pricing | Free | Freemium |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 2 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 5 | 5 |
| Full listing | View HerStack | View Pubmed Search |
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.search_pubmedkeyword, MeSH, author, date range searchget_abstractfull abstract retrieval by PMIDsummarize_findingsplain-language summary with PICO framingget_citationsAMA / APA / Vancouver formatted citationsfind_reviewssystematic reviews and meta-analyses onlyPaste 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": {
"pubspro-pubmed-search": {
"url": "https://mcpize.com/mcp/pubmed-search"
}
}
}