What is the key difference between Balldontlie MCP and Sportscore MCP?

Balldontlie MCP belongs to the Sports category with local stdio execution, while Sportscore MCP belongs to the Sports category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Balldontlie MCP or Sportscore MCP 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 Balldontlie MCP and Sportscore MCP free or paid?

Balldontlie MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required). Sportscore MCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Balldontlie MCP lists 7 tools with 1 views and 26 GitHub stars. Sportscore MCP lists 8 tools with 2 views and 12 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Balldontlie MCP and Sportscore MCP 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

Balldontlie MCP vs Sportscore MCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Balldontlie MCP and Sportscore MCP 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

Balldontlie MCP

Sports · Local stdio

Quality: 48/100 (Fair) | Auth: API Key required

Sportscore MCP

Sports · Local stdio

Quality: 61/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Balldontlie MCP if you need specialized Sports tools running via a local process. Choose Sportscore MCP if your workspace requires Sports integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Balldontlie MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Sports domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY.
Primary tools included: league, firstName, lastName.

Explore Balldontlie MCP Details

Choose Sportscore MCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Sports domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: SPORTSCORE_API_BASE, SPORTSCORE_UA, SPORTSCORE_HTTP_PORT, SPORTSCORE_HTTP_HOST, SPORTSCORE_NO_TELEMETRY.
Primary tools included: .

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Balldontlie MCP mikechao Sports	Sportscore MCP Backspace-me Sports
Summary	MCP server that integrates balldontlie api to provide information about players, teams and games for the NBA, NFL and MLB	Live scores, standings, top scorers, player stats, and knockout brackets for football, basketball, cricket, and tennis. Free public API, no key required.
Category & Scope	Sports

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Balldontlie MCP Tools (7)

league

firstName

lastName

cursor

dates

teamIds

gameId

Sportscore MCP Tools (8)

get_matches

List live and recent matches for a sport. Returns up to `limit` matches with scores, status, kickoff time and team logos. Good default for 'what's happening in football right now?'.

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).

Balldontlie MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mikechao-balldontlie-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mikechao-balldontlie-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY": "YOUR_BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Sportscore MCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "backspace-me-sportscore-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "sportscore-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SPORTSCORE_API_BASE": "YOUR_SPORTSCORE_API_BASE_HERE",
        "SPORTSCORE_UA": "YOUR_SPORTSCORE_UA_HERE",
        "SPORTSCORE_HTTP_PORT": "YOUR_SPORTSCORE_HTTP_PORT_HERE",
        "SPORTSCORE_HTTP_HOST": "YOUR_SPORTSCORE_HTTP_HOST_HERE",
        "SPORTSCORE_NO_TELEMETRY": "YOUR_SPORTSCORE_NO_TELEMETRY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Balldontlie MCP is categorized under Sports and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Sportscore MCP belongs to Sports using local stdio subprocess. Select Balldontlie MCP when you need capabilities focused on sports and Sportscore MCP when you require tools for sports.

More alternatives to Balldontlie MCP More alternatives to Sportscore MCP Sports category hub Canonical compare URL