Keel vs Argus
A side-by-side look at the Keel and Argus MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Keel for developer tools work as a local process; choose Argus for developer tools as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Keel when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
health, ping, traceroute.
Choose Argus when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
argus_audit, argus_audit_full, argus_compare.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
| Quality signal | 47/100 · Fair | 57/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 5 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 14 | 9 |
| Full listing | View Keel | View Argus |
Tools & capabilities
Keel tools 14
healthServer version and status checkpingTCP connect ping (port 80) with latency statstracerouteTrace network route to a hostdns_lookupResolve DNS records (A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, TXT, NS)reverse_dnsReverse DNS lookup for an IP addressport_checkCheck if a single TCP port is openport_scanScan common TCP ports (rate-limited, max 100)check_ssl_certInspect SSL/TLS certificate details and expirywhois_lookupWHOIS domain registration lookuphttp_checkHTTP request with status, timing, headers, sizesubnet_scanDiscover live hosts on a local subnet (RFC 1918 only)get_public_ipGet the machine's public IP address- +2 more on the listing page
Argus tools 9
argus_auditFast pass — JS, network, accessibility, SEO, security, CSS, contentargus_audit_fullDeep pass — adds Lighthouse, responsive checks, memory leak detection, hover-state bugsargus_compareDiff dev vs staging — screenshots, findings delta, environment regressionsargus_get_contextCapture everything broken on the open tab — with `resolved / new / persisting` diff vs the last snapshot (the fix loop)argus_watch_snapshotSnapshot the open tab without navigating (preserves auth/form state)argus_last_reportReturn last JSON report without re-runningargus_design_auditFigma URL → 13 design-token finding types (color, spacing, typography, shadows, etc.)argus_visual_diffScreenshot baseline comparison. Pass `updateBaseline: true` to reset.argus_pr_validateFetch GitHub PR diff → map changed files to affected routes → targeted audit → baseline-aware block decision (blocks on findings the PR *introduces*) + idempotent PR comment + Check Run → `{ blocked, findings, baseline, reporting }
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.
Keel
{
"mcpServers": {
"keel-2": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"sounding-mcp"
]
}
}
}
Argus
{
"mcpServers": {
"argus-2": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"chrome-devtools-mcp@latest"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Keel is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. Argus belongs to Developer Tools and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Keel for developer tools work and Argus for developer tools.
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.
Keel has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Argus 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 keel-2 and argus-2 as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Keel has a quality signal of 47/100 (Fair) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Argus has 57/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 5 GitHub stars.