What is the key difference between MCP Apollo and ARBuilder?

MCP Apollo belongs to the Communication category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution, while ARBuilder belongs to the Communication category with local stdio execution.

How do I install MCP Apollo or ARBuilder 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 Apollo and ARBuilder free or paid?

MCP Apollo operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). ARBuilder operates under a Freemium model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

MCP Apollo lists 6 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. ARBuilder lists 19 tools with 2 views and 24 GitHub stars.

Can I use both MCP Apollo and ARBuilder 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 Apollo vs ARBuilder

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Apollo and ARBuilder 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 Apollo

Communication · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 47/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

ARBuilder

Communication · Local stdio

Quality: 56/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose MCP Apollo if you need specialized Communication tools running via a hosted cloud SSE transport. Choose ARBuilder if your workspace requires Communication 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 Apollo when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: apollo_search_people, apollo_enrich_person, apollo_search_companies.

Explore MCP Apollo Details

Choose ARBuilder when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Freemium).
You have access to required keys: ARBUILDER_API_KEY.
Primary tools included: get_stylus_context, generate_stylus_code, ask_stylus.

Explore ARBuilder Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Apollo Communication	ARBuilder Quantum3-Labs Communication
Summary	Apollo.io MCP server. Search people, enrich contacts, find emails, research companies.	AI-powered code generator for the Arbitrum ecosystem. 19 MCP tools for Stylus smart contracts, SDK bridging, full-stack dApps, and Orbit chain deployment, backed by RAG-based retrieval over Arbitrum documentation.
Category & Scope	Communication

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

MCP Apollo Tools (6)

apollo_search_people

Search Apollo's database for people matching filters.

apollo_enrich_person

Get a full enriched profile for a specific person.

apollo_search_companies

Search for companies matching criteria.

apollo_enrich_company

Get a full company profile by domain or name.

apollo_get_job_postings

Get active job postings for a company — a strong buying/hiring signal.

apollo_find_email

Retrieve a person's verified email by their Apollo person ID.

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 Apollo Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-apollo": {
      "url": "https://YOUR_WORKER_URL/mcp"
    }
  }
}

ARBuilder Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "quantum3-labs-arbuilder": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ARBUILDER_API_KEY": "YOUR_ARBUILDER_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

MCP Apollo is categorized under Communication and uses a remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. In contrast, ARBuilder belongs to Communication using local stdio subprocess. Select MCP Apollo when you need capabilities focused on communication and ARBuilder when you require tools for communication.

More alternatives to MCP Apollo More alternatives to ARBuilder Communication category hub