Medplum MCP vs Pubcrawl

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

Medplum MCP logoMedplum MCPBiology & BioinformaticsSecurely access and manage FHIR healthcare data stored in Medplum.41FairAuth: not declaredPubcrawl logoPubcrawlBiology & Bioinformatics · Local subprocess (stdio)PubMed literature search and US/UK drug labelling for AI assistants.49FairAuth: no auth required

Verdict: choose Medplum MCP for biology & bioinformatics work; choose Pubcrawl for biology & bioinformatics as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Which MCP server should you choose?

Medplum MCP logoChoose Medplum MCP when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Biology & Bioinformatics domain.
Explore Medplum MCP

Pubcrawl logoChoose Pubcrawl when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Biology & Bioinformatics domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
Explore Pubcrawl

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

SpecMedplum MCP logoMedplum MCPPubcrawl logoPubcrawl
CategoryBiology & BioinformaticsBiology & Bioinformatics
Quality signal41/100 · Fair49/100 · Fair
Install commandNot confirmed yetConfirmed
Transport—Local subprocess (stdio)
AuthNot declaredNo auth required
PricingNot declaredFree
Required env varsNone listedNone listed
Verified ownerCommunity listingCommunity listing
GitHub stars2,76015
Directory activity 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes 4 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
ToolsNot listedNot listed

Tools & capabilities

Medplum MCP tools

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

Pubcrawl 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.

Medplum MCP

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

Pubcrawl

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pubcrawl": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@pharmatools/pubcrawl"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

Medplum MCP is categorized under Biology & Bioinformatics and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Pubcrawl belongs to Biology & Bioinformatics and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Medplum MCP for biology & bioinformatics work and Pubcrawl for biology & bioinformatics.

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

Medplum MCP has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Pubcrawl is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. 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 mcp-112 and pubcrawl as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

On AllMCPs, Medplum MCP has a quality signal of 41/100 (Fair) with 2 views, 0 installs and 2,760 GitHub stars. Pubcrawl has 49/100 (Fair) with 4 views, 0 installs and 15 GitHub stars.