Octagon Deep Research MCP vs Upriver
A side-by-side look at the Octagon Deep Research MCP and Upriver MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Octagon Deep Research MCP for research work as a local process; choose Upriver for research over a hosted endpoint. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Octagon Deep Research MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
OCTAGON_API_KEY.
Choose Upriver when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
- You want tools like
breakout_search_topics, breakout_list_topics.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Research | Research |
| Quality signal | 44/100 · Fair | 47/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Remote HTTP/SSE |
| Auth | API key required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Freemium | Not declared |
| Required env vars | OCTAGON_API_KEY | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 94 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | Not listed | 2 |
| Full listing | View Octagon Deep Research MCP | View Upriver |
Tools & capabilities
Octagon Deep Research MCP tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
Upriver tools 2
breakout_search_topicsSearch breakout topics by keyword.breakout_list_topicsBrowse breakout topics gaining traction right now.
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Octagon Deep Research MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"octagonai-octagon-deep-research-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"octagon-deep-research-mcp"
],
"env": {
"OCTAGON_API_KEY": "YOUR_OCTAGON_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Upriver
{
"mcpServers": {
"upriver": {
"url": "https://mcp.upriver.ai/icon.png"
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Octagon Deep Research MCP is categorized under Research and uses a local stdio subprocess. Upriver belongs to Research and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Pick Octagon Deep Research MCP for research work and Upriver for research.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Octagon Deep Research MCP is listed as freemium — a free tier with paid plans. Auth: api key required. Upriver has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add octagonai-octagon-deep-research-mcp and upriver as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Octagon Deep Research MCP has a quality signal of 44/100 (Fair) with 2 views, 0 installs and 94 GitHub stars. Upriver has 47/100 (Fair) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.