Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison
Npm vs Openalex
In-depth architectural comparison of the Npm and Openalex 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
Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE
Quality: 55/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required
Openalex
Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE
Quality: 40/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required
Verdict Summary: Choose Npm if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a hosted cloud SSE transport. Choose Openalex if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's
mcpServers manifest.Which MCP Server Should You Choose?
N
Choose Npm 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).
- Primary tools included: search_packages, get_package, get_downloads.
O
Choose Openalex 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).
Feature & Specification Comparison
Tools & Capabilities Breakdown
Npm Tools (5)
search_packages
Search npm for packages by keyword. Returns package names, descriptions, latest versions, publish dates, and publishers. Use when discovering libraries for a task.
get_package
Get full details for a specific package: version, description, dependencies, homepage, repository, and license. Use after search_packages to evaluate a candidate package.
get_downloads
Fetch npm download counts for a package over a named period (last-day, last-week, last-month, last-year) or a custom date range like "2024-01-01:2024-06-30". Returns total downloads, start date, and end date.
list_versions
List published versions of an npm package with publish dates, dist-tags (latest/next/beta), and deprecation notices — answers "what versions of <pkg> exist", "when was <pkg> last published", "is the latest version deprecated". Returns versions newest-first, plus the package created/last-modified ti…
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 Configuration
Openalex Configuration