What is the key difference between Iknow and Purl?

Iknow belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution, while Purl belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Iknow or Purl 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 Iknow and Purl free or paid?

Iknow operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Purl operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Iknow lists 0 tools with 2 views and 0 GitHub stars. Purl lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Iknow and Purl 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

Iknow vs Purl

In-depth architectural comparison of the Iknow and Purl 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

Iknow

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 37/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Purl

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 33/100 (Emerging) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Iknow if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a local process. Choose Purl if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Iknow when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Iknow Details

Choose Purl when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Purl Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	I Iknow Developer Tools	P Purl Developer Tools
Summary	Knowledge base MCP for AI agents on iknow.dev. Search, read, and maintain via OAuth.	Search and save to your Purl read-it-later knowledge base from any MCP client.
Category & Scope	Developer Tools	Developer Tools
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Iknow Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

Purl Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

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).

Iknow Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "iknow": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "iknow"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Purl Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "purl": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "purl"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Iknow is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Purl belongs to Developer Tools using local stdio subprocess. Select Iknow when you need capabilities focused on developer tools and Purl when you require tools for developer tools.

More alternatives to Iknow More alternatives to Purl Developer Tools category hub