Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison
Npm Trends MCP vs PDF Reader MCP
In-depth architectural comparison of the Npm Trends MCP and PDF Reader 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
Npm Trends MCP
Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE
Quality: 48/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required
PDF Reader MCP
Developer Tools · Local stdio
Quality: 69/100 (Great) | Auth: No auth required
Verdict Summary: Choose Npm Trends MCP if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a hosted cloud SSE transport. Choose PDF Reader MCP if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's
mcpServers manifest.Which MCP Server Should You Choose?
Choose Npm Trends MCP when:
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
- Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
- You have access to required keys:
TRENDSMCP_API_KEY. - Primary tools included: get_time_series, get_growth, get_top_trends.
Choose PDF Reader MCP when:
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
- You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
- Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
- Primary tools included: inspect, outline, read.
Feature & Specification Comparison
Tools & Capabilities Breakdown
Npm Trends MCP Tools (3)
get_time_series
Weekly (or daily) history for **one** `source` + `keyword`. Same name on MCP and REST (`mode: "get_time_series"`). REST also accepts `get_trends` as an alias.
get_growth
Point-to-point percent change. Several windows in one call still count as **one** request for that source + keyword.
get_top_trends
Live ranked list. **No keyword.** On MCP, `type` is required and must match the feed name **exactly** (including capitals). On REST, omit `type` only if you intend to pull every feed (billed per feed).
PDF Reader MCP Tools (4)
inspect
Document and media evidence when Markdown is not enough. video_timeline (bounded scene/cue timeline) and render_frame (actual decoded frames), and cite_check (quote/location support, not semantic truth), are anymd Pro; PDF operations: inspect (page facts, metadata), render_page (PNG images), extract_regions (crop bounding boxes), ocr_pages / analyze_regions (configured OCR or vision provider), structure (JSON with document map, elements, geometry; profile quality|research adds trust and accessibility reports), compare (page-level diff of sources[0] vs sources[1]).
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).
Npm Trends MCP Configuration
PDF Reader MCP Configuration