Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison
Openalex vs Unpaywall
In-depth architectural comparison of the Openalex and Unpaywall 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
Openalex
Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE
Quality: 40/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required
Unpaywall
Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE
Quality: 39/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required
Verdict Summary: Choose Openalex if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a hosted cloud SSE transport. Choose Unpaywall 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?
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).
U
Choose Unpaywall 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
Openalex Tools (0)
No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.
Unpaywall Tools (0)
No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.
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).
Openalex Configuration
Unpaywall Configuration