IWE vs Kawa Code

A side-by-side look at the IWE and Kawa Code MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.

IWE logoIWEKnowledge & MemoryMarkdown knowledge base as agent memory. Runs against the notes directory it is started in.44FairAuth: no auth requiredKawa Code logoKawa CodeKnowledge & Memory · Local subprocess (stdio)Team-aware memory: intent, decisions, real-time conflicts for AI coding assistants.40FairAuth: not declared

Verdict: choose IWE for knowledge & memory work; choose Kawa Code for knowledge & memory as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Which MCP server should you choose?

IWE logoChoose IWE when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
  • Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
Explore IWE

Kawa Code logoChoose Kawa Code when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
Explore Kawa Code

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

SpecIWE logoIWEKawa Code logoKawa Code
CategoryKnowledge & MemoryKnowledge & Memory
Quality signal44/100 · Fair40/100 · Fair
Install commandNot confirmed yetConfirmed
Transport—Local subprocess (stdio)
AuthNo auth requiredNot declared
PricingFreeNot declared
Required env varsNone listedNone listed
Verified ownerCommunity listingCommunity listing
GitHub stars1,7900
Directory activity 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
ToolsNot listedNot listed

Tools & capabilities

IWE tools

No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.

Kawa Code tools

No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from 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.

IWE

No confirmed install command for IWE yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.

Kawa Code

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kawa-code": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@kawacode/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

IWE is categorized under Knowledge & Memory and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Kawa Code belongs to Knowledge & Memory and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick IWE for knowledge & memory work and Kawa Code for knowledge & memory.

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. IWE has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.

IWE is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Kawa Code has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. 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 iwe and kawa-code as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

On AllMCPs, IWE has a quality signal of 44/100 (Fair) with 2 views, 0 installs and 1,790 GitHub stars. Kawa Code has 40/100 (Fair) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.