Openfda vs BoostedTravel
A side-by-side look at the Openfda and BoostedTravel MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Openfda for biology & bioinformatics work as a local process; choose BoostedTravel for travel & transportation as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Openfda when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Biology & Bioinformatics domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
fda_drug_events, fda_drug_approvals, fda_applications_by_cik.
Choose BoostedTravel when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Travel & Transportation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
LETSFG_BEARER_TOKEN, LETSFG_API_KEY. - You want tools like
search_flights, resolve_location, unlock_flight_offer.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Biology & Bioinformatics | Travel & Transportation |
| Quality signal | 61/100 · Good | 72/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | API key required |
| Pricing | Not declared | Free |
| Required env vars | None listed | LETSFG_BEARER_TOKENLETSFG_API_KEY |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 2,186 |
| Directory activity | 5 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 9 views 1 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 18 | 14 |
| Full listing | View Openfda | View BoostedTravel |
Tools & capabilities
Openfda tools 18
fda_drug_eventsSearch FAERS adverse event reports by drug name, MedDRA reaction term, or date range. Returns report counts, reaction types, seriousness levels, and dates. Natural multi-word reaction phrasing is retried against MedDRA preferred-term word order before an empty result is reported. FAERS reports do not establish incidence or causality.fda_drug_approvalsFind FDA-approved drugs by brand name, active ingredient, or application number. To find generic versions of a drug, search by active ingredient using products.active_ingredients.name (NOT openfda.generic_name — that field only works in the label endpoint). IMPORTANT: drug names in the FDA database are stored in UPPERCASE — always pass ingredient and brand names in uppercase (e.g. "APIXABAN" not "apixaban") or you will get 0 results. Returns approval status, sponsor, application number (ANDA = generic, NDA = brand), and application details. There is NO queryable "application_type" field — never add application_type:"ANDA" (it returns 0 results). To limit to generics, search by active ingredient and read the ANDA/NDA prefix on application_number in the results. This endpoint has NO indication/disease field — for "drugs approved to treat <condition>" use fda_drug_labels (which searches indications_and_usage); an indication phrase passed here is silently ignored and matches by drug name only. The response `total` can exceed the 100-row cap on a single page — use `skip` to page past it, and `sort` to get genuinely-newest-first ordering ("most recently approved" is not the default order).fda_applications_by_cikFind ALL Drugs@FDA applications for a company by SEC CIK, ticker, or company name — without needing to know its FDA sponsor_name spelling. Drugs@FDA has no company-ID field: sponsor_name is free text, and one company routinely files under several forms (e.g. Eli Lilly appears as "LILLY", "ELI LILLY AND CO", "ELI LILLY CO", "LILLY RES LABS" — its own SEC-registered name "ELI LILLY AND COMPANY" matches ZERO of them in fda_drug_approvals). This resolves the company via SEC (same identity as the edgar pack), derives its most distinctive name token, and searches Drugs@FDA for every sponsor_name variant containing it in one call — returning the combined application list plus a `sponsor_name_forms` breakdown showing exactly which spellings were found. Use this INSTEAD of guessing sponsor_name strings for fda_drug_approvals when you have (or can resolve) the company's CIK/ticker. For a subsidiary or operating name that isn't itself SEC-listed, resolve to the parent first with edgar's sponsor_to_filer, then pass that CIK here.fda_novel_approvalsMost recent novel drug approvals — the newest drugs approved by the FDA. Use for "what is the most recent novel drug the FDA approved", "latest FDA drug approvals", "recently approved new drugs or biologics this month/year". Returns original NDA/BLA approvals (generics excluded by default) sorted newest-first, with approval date, brand name, active ingredients, sponsor, and application number. Not for label text (fda_drug_labels) or searching a specific known drug (fda_drug_approvals).fda_drug_labelsGet FDA drug labeling (SPL) by drug name OR by INDICATION. This is the tool for "what drugs are approved to treat <condition>" — it searches the indications_and_usage text, which the drugsfda approvals endpoint does NOT carry. Query by brand/generic name (openfda.brand_name:"HUMIRA"), or by indicated use (indications_and_usage:"rheumatoid arthritis"). Returns indications, boxed/other warnings, dosage, contraindications, and adverse reactions (each text field capped, set_id preserved for out-of-band full-label fetch). Note: FDA label publication trails approval by weeks, so a just-approved drug may not have a label yet.fda_drug_recallsSearch FDA drug recalls and enforcement actions by drug name or reason — returns recall classification, date, reason and enforcement status. A multi-word search is tried as ALL terms first and falls back to ANY term when nothing matches all of them; the response says which happened in match_mode, so a loose match is never mistaken for a precise one. Recall reasons are free narrative text and often name the contaminant rather than the harm ("NDMA impurity", not "cancer"), so search the substance when a symptom finds nothing.fda_drug_shortagesSearch the FDA Drug Shortages database by generic or brand name, manufacturer, status, or an advanced openFDA query. Returns national supply records and available FDA dates; reason and other details are sparse in the upstream data. This is not local pharmacy inventory or medical advice.fda_shortage_changesFDA drug-shortage records ordered by update_date, newest first, then restricted to the requested look-back window. Use for recently updated, discontinued, or resolved national shortages; this does not imply availability at any specific pharmacy or hospital. Most rows in any window are "Reverified" (FDA re-checking a status it already had) — pass update_type to filter to the change kinds that actually matter, e.g. New/Discontinued/To Be Discontinued/Resolved, and exclude Reverified.fda_complete_response_lettersSearch FDA-disclosed Complete Response Letters for drug and biologic applications. Defaults to letter_type "COMPLETE RESPONSE"; optionally include other letter types in the same dataset. Returns the application’s current approval_status, letter metadata, an excerpt, and the official document URL.fda_crl_detailRetrieve one FDA Complete Response Letter by application number and optionally letter date. Returns the FDA-disclosed letter text and document URL. Confidential commercial and trade-secret material may be redacted by FDA.fda_food_recallsSearch FDA FOOD recall / enforcement reports (openFDA /food/enforcement) — product recalls, reasons, classification, recalling firm, distribution, and status. Use for food-safety / recall-history questions (distinct from fda_drug_recalls which covers drugs).fda_event_countsAggregate adverse events by reaction type, patient age, or outcome. Returns top reactions for a drug and event trends over time.- +6 more on the listing page
BoostedTravel tools 14
search_flightsSearch hundreds of airlines for live flight prices — completely FREE, unlimited, read-only. Returns structured offers with prices, airlines, times, durations, and stopovers. Some offers carry `starlink` for in-flight Starlink Wi-Fi: "confirmed_all" / "confirmed_some" mean the carrier has FULLY fitted that aircraft type, "likely_all" / "likely_some" mean the rollout on that type is underway but incomplete. State only "confirmed_*" as fact; describe "likely_*" as "the airline is fitting this aircraft type, not guaranteed on your flight". Anything ending in "_some" has at least one leg WITHOUT it. An absent field means no information, NOT an absence of Wi-Fi. Covers airlines across all continents including low-cost carriers. Search is async: this tool polls for you, including waiting out the late split-ticket merge. Some offers are SPLIT TICKETS: two separately-issued tickets through a hub, each leg booked from whatever is cheapest for it (usually two different airlines), because no one seller offers the combination as a single ticket. They carry `split_ticket: "true"`, `combo_type: "virtual_interlining"` and `self_transfer: "unprotected"`. ALWAYS tell the user when an offer is a split ticket and what unprotected means: the tickets are not linked, so if the first flight is late and the connection is missed, the second airline owes nothing — no rebooking, no refund. Never present a split ticket as though it were one through-fare. Requires LETSFG_BEARER_TOKEN or LETSFG_API_KEY. See letsfg://guide resource for the full authenticate->search->book workflow.resolve_locationConvert a city/airport name to IATA codes. Always call before search_flights if you only have a city name. Read-only, safe to call multiple times.unlock_flight_offer[Developer API only] Confirm live price with the airline and reserve the offer for 30 minutes. NOT part of the agent flow and NOT needed before book_flight. It requires LETSFG_API_KEY (the paid, prepaid Developer API) and refuses to run on a Bearer token, because the PFS unlock endpoint does not exist — calling it that way used to 404. If you authenticated with `letsfg auth`, go straight from search_flights to book_flight. Requires a Developer API key. Legacy path — not idempotent.book_flightBook a flight from a search result. FLOW: authenticate (once) -> search_flights -> book_flight CHARGES: nothing from LetsFG. A completed booking pays the airline prices from airlines and the major booking sites. RESULT: either {"booked": true, "order_id": "..."} or {"booked": false, "booking_url": "..."} — the second means the booking genuinely did not complete and nothing was charged. That is a normal outcome, NOT a transient error: do not retry, give the user the booking_url. SAFETY: use REAL passenger details — names must match passport, email receives the e-ticket.get_flight_bookingPoll a flight booking started by book_flight. REQUIRED to learn the outcome: on a PFS Bearer token book_flight returns a booking_ref and state "booking_in_progress", not a PNR - the booking itself takes 4-11 minutes. Call it every 20-30 s with that booking_ref until state is terminal: completed -> PNR issued, card charged failed -> the hold was released, nothing was charged needs_attention -> a human is looking at it; do NOT rebook Do not rebook while the state is still moving, and do not treat a slow poll as a failure - the money is HELD, not taken, until the airline confirms. Refs last one hour past the booking start.resolve_hotel_cityConvert a place name to the supplier city id that search_hotels needs. Always call this first if you only have a city name. Read-only and safe to repeat. Use `Id` from the first result as city_id and `Name` as city_name.search_hotelsSearch real, bookable hotel inventory. Requires a payment method on file — the SAME card that authorises flight booking. That applies to search too, not just booking, because a search opens a real session at the supplier. Only free-cancellation, pay-later rates are returned, so everything you see can actually be booked on these terms. The result set is smaller than a metasearch and that is deliberate. `price` is what the guest pays. Keep `session_id` and the chosen offer's `combination_id_v2` — together they identify that exact rate, and book_hotel needs both. Takes up to a few minutes.book_hotelBook one hotel rate. Charges 5% of the price to the card on file immediately as a NON-REFUNDABLE reservation fee; the balance is paid directly to the supplier through the pay link we return, by balance_due_by (the supplier's own auto-cancellation date). Returns a booking_job_id, NOT the booking — a booking takes minutes. Poll get_hotel_booking until status is succeeded or failed. The fee is charged BEFORE the room is committed, so a declined card costs nothing: no reservation exists and nothing is charged. Send expected_price and expected_balance back exactly as search returned them. NOT idempotent — calling twice for the same rate books the room twice and charges two fees.get_hotel_bookingCollect the result of a booking started with book_hotel. Poll every ~20s. status is in_progress, succeeded or failed. On success you get confirmation, reservation_fee_charged, pay_link, balance_due, balance_due_by and the full cancellation ladder. Read-only and safe to repeat.cancel_hotel_bookingRelease a hotel reservation. Free until balance_due_by; after that the hotel's own ladder applies and can reach 100%. The ladder is in the booking terms, so check the cost first. The 5% reservation fee is NOT refunded. Takes over a minute; if it times out do NOT assume it failed — re-check before retrying.authenticateExplain how to connect a card so this server can search and book. Nothing is charged to connect — a 0.00 Revolut setup that saves the card so a booking can be charged later. Call with no arguments. It returns the current instructions and add_card_url (https://letsfg.co/connect). A PERSON must approve once in a browser — there is no endpoint that mints a token from card details, so do not ask the user for card numbers and do not try to automate this step. Two ways in: (a) add LetsFG as a connector in an assistant that supports remote MCP servers and approve it, or (b) any OAuth-capable client can register itself — see https://letsfg.co/for-agents, section "Option B". Both land on the same card screen. RETIRED 2026-09-02: the Stripe lanes (setup_url, setup_session_id, payment_method_id, card_token) and every token they issued. Passing them now fails. This does NOT create a Developer API billing account. Do not use setup_payment for this.setup_payment[Developer API only — you almost certainly want `authenticate` instead] Attaches a card to a PAID prepaid Developer API account. Refuses to run unless LETSFG_API_KEY is set, because agents kept calling this and creating billing accounts they did not need.- +2 more on the listing page
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.
Openfda
{
"mcpServers": {
"openfda": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@pipeworx/mcp-openfda"
]
}
}
}
BoostedTravel
{
"mcpServers": {
"boostedtravel": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"letsfg-mcp"
],
"env": {
"LETSFG_BEARER_TOKEN": "YOUR_LETSFG_BEARER_TOKEN_HERE",
"LETSFG_API_KEY": "YOUR_LETSFG_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Openfda is categorized under Biology & Bioinformatics and uses a local stdio subprocess. BoostedTravel belongs to Travel & Transportation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Openfda for biology & bioinformatics work and BoostedTravel for travel & transportation.
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.
Openfda has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. BoostedTravel is listed as free. Auth: api key required. 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 openfda and boostedtravel as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Openfda has a quality signal of 61/100 (Good) with 5 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. BoostedTravel has 72/100 (Great) with 9 views, 1 installs and 2,186 GitHub stars.