What is the key difference between MCP Agent Trace Inspector and Anki MCP Server?

MCP Agent Trace Inspector belongs to the Monitoring category with local stdio execution, while Anki MCP Server belongs to the Monitoring category with local stdio execution.

How do I install MCP Agent Trace Inspector or Anki MCP Server 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 MCP Agent Trace Inspector and Anki MCP Server free or paid?

MCP Agent Trace Inspector operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Anki MCP Server operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

MCP Agent Trace Inspector lists 13 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Anki MCP Server lists 50 tools with 1 views and 474 GitHub stars.

Can I use both MCP Agent Trace Inspector and Anki MCP Server 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

MCP Agent Trace Inspector vs Anki MCP Server

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Agent Trace Inspector and Anki MCP Server 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

MCP Agent Trace Inspector

Monitoring · Local stdio

Quality: 43/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Anki MCP Server

Monitoring · Local stdio

Quality: 64/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose MCP Agent Trace Inspector if you need specialized Monitoring tools running via a local process. Choose Anki MCP Server if your workspace requires Monitoring integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose MCP Agent Trace Inspector when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Monitoring domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: trace_start, trace_step, trace_end.

Explore MCP Agent Trace Inspector Details

Choose Anki MCP Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Monitoring domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: sync, get_due_cards, get_cards.

Explore Anki MCP Server Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Agent Trace Inspector Monitoring	Anki MCP Server Monitoring
Summary	Step-by-step observability for MCP agent workflows	MCP server for Anki flashcards: adaptive review, notes, media, and deck management via AnkiConnect.
Category & Scope	Monitoring	Monitoring
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

MCP Agent Trace Inspector Tools (13)

trace_start

begin a new trace; returns a `trace_id` for subsequent calls

trace_step

record one tool call step (inputs, outputs, optional token count and latency)

trace_end

mark a trace as completed

list_traces

list stored traces with names, statuses, and timestamps

get_trace_summary

token totals, step count, latency, and cost estimate for a trace

compare_traces

diff two traces side by side (step counts, tokens, latency)

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).

MCP Agent Trace Inspector Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-agent-trace-inspector": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/inspector"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Anki MCP Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "anki-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@ankimcp/anki-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

MCP Agent Trace Inspector is categorized under Monitoring and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Anki MCP Server belongs to Monitoring using local stdio subprocess. Select MCP Agent Trace Inspector when you need capabilities focused on monitoring and Anki MCP Server when you require tools for monitoring.

More alternatives to MCP Agent Trace Inspector More alternatives to Anki MCP Server Monitoring category hub Canonical compare URL