Forage vs Magg
A side-by-side look at the Forage and Magg MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Forage for aggregators work as a local process; choose Magg for aggregators as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Forage when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Aggregators domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
forage_search, forage_evaluate, forage_install.
Choose Magg when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Aggregators domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: other.
- You want tools like
magg_list_servers, magg_add_server, magg_remove_server.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Aggregators | Aggregators |
| Quality signal | 61/100 · Good | 64/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | No auth required | other |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 19 | 144 |
| Directory activity | 8 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 5 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 6 | 14 |
| Full listing | View Forage | View Magg |
Tools & capabilities
Forage tools 6
forage_searchSearch for MCP servers and tools across registries (Official MCP Registry, Smithery, npm). Describe what capability you need and get ranked results.forage_evaluateGet detailed information about a specific package — version, downloads, README summary, install command. Use this before installing to verify quality.forage_installInstall an MCP server and start it as a proxied subprocess. The server's tools become available immediately via Forage — no restart needed. IMPORTANT: Set confirm=true to proceed with installation (user will be prompted to approve the tool call).forage_learnWrite usage instructions for an installed tool to agent rule files (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, .cursor/rules/). This persists knowledge across sessions so the agent remembers how to use the tool next time.forage_statusList all tools that Forage has installed and is currently proxying. Shows which servers are running, what tools they provide, and their install status.forage_uninstallRemove a previously installed tool. Stops the server, removes from manifest, and cleans up agent rules. Set confirm=true to proceed.
Magg tools 14
magg_list_serversList all configured MCP serversmagg_add_serverAdd a new MCP servermagg_remove_serverRemove a servermagg_search_serversSearch for MCP servers onlinemagg_list_toolsList all available tools from all serversmagg_smart_configureIntelligently configure a server from a URLmagg_analyze_serversAnalyze configured servers and suggest improvementsmagg_statusGet server and tool statisticsmagg_checkHealth check servers with repair actions (report/remount/unmount/disable)magg_reload_configReload configuration from disk and apply changesmagg_load_kitLoad a kit and its servers into the configurationmagg_unload_kitUnload a kit and optionally its servers from the configuration- +2 more on the listing page
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.
Forage
{
"mcpServers": {
"isaac-levine-forage": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"forage-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Magg
{
"mcpServers": {
"sitbon-magg": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"--from",
"git+https://github.com/sitbon/magg.git",
"magg"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Forage is categorized under Aggregators and uses a local stdio subprocess. Magg belongs to Aggregators and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Forage for aggregators work and Magg for aggregators.
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.
Forage is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Magg is listed as free. Auth: other. 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 isaac-levine-forage and sitbon-magg as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Forage has a quality signal of 61/100 (Good) with 8 views, 0 installs and 19 GitHub stars. Magg has 64/100 (Good) with 5 views, 0 installs and 144 GitHub stars.