What is the key difference between MCP Telegram and Tandem?

MCP Telegram belongs to the Communication category with local stdio execution, while Tandem belongs to the Communication category with local stdio execution.

How do I install MCP Telegram or Tandem in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are MCP Telegram and Tandem free or paid?

MCP Telegram operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required). Tandem operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

MCP Telegram lists 6 tools with 3 views and 43 GitHub stars. Tandem lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both MCP Telegram and Tandem together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

MCP Telegram vs Tandem

In-depth architectural comparison of the MCP Telegram and Tandem 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

MCP Telegram

Communication · Local stdio

Quality: 60/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

Tandem

Communication · Local stdio

Quality: 38/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose MCP Telegram if you need specialized Communication tools running via a local process. Choose Tandem if your workspace requires Communication integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose MCP Telegram when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: TELEGRAM_API_ID, TELEGRAM_API_HASH.
Primary tools included: MTProto user-account access through GramJS, QR-code login with persistent sessions, Global message search and chat reading.

Explore MCP Telegram Details

Choose Tandem when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Communication domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Tandem Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	MCP Telegram overpod Communication	T Tandem Communication
Summary	Telegram MCP server via MTProto/GramJS — 20 tools for reading chats, searching messages, downloading media, managing contacts. QR code login, npx zero-install. Hosted version at mcp-telegram.com.	Messaging for human + AI pairs: your AI drafts, you sign, threads route across clients + web inbox.
Category & Scope	Communication

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

MCP Telegram Tools (6)

MTProto user-account access through GramJS

QR-code login with persistent sessions

Global message search and chat reading

Media, sticker, poll, and scheduled-message actions

Contact, profile, privacy, and folder management

Shared daemon support for multiple clients

Tandem 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).

MCP Telegram Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "overpod-mcp-telegram": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@overpod/mcp-telegram"
      ],
      "env": {
        "TELEGRAM_API_ID": "YOUR_TELEGRAM_API_ID_HERE",
        "TELEGRAM_API_HASH": "YOUR_TELEGRAM_API_HASH_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tandem Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tandem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "tandem"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

MCP Telegram is categorized under Communication and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Tandem belongs to Communication using local stdio subprocess. Select MCP Telegram when you need capabilities focused on communication and Tandem when you require tools for communication.

More alternatives to MCP Telegram More alternatives to Tandem Communication category hub