Pexels vs Notch
A side-by-side look at the Pexels and Notch MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
PexelsMultimedia Process · Local subprocess (stdio)Pexels MCP.55GoodAuth: not declaredN
NotchMultimedia Process · Remote HTTP/SSETurn product pages and creative briefs into finished video and image ads from your AI chat.20EmergingAuth: not declaredVerdict: choose Pexels for multimedia process work as a local process; choose Notch for multimedia process over a hosted endpoint. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Pexels when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Multimedia Process domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
PLATFORM_PEXELS_KEY. - You want tools like
photo_search, photo_curated, photo.
NChoose Notch when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Multimedia Process domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | Pexels | N Notch |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Multimedia Process | Multimedia Process |
| Quality signal | 55/100 · Good | 20/100 · Emerging |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Remote HTTP/SSE |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | PLATFORM_PEXELS_KEY | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | — |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 29 views 12 installs 6 upvotes |
| Tools | 8 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View Pexels | View Notch |
Tools & capabilities
Pexels tools 8
photo_searchSearch Pexels photos by keyword (required); returns paginated results with image URLs in multiple sizes, photographer name, and attribution link.photo_curatedFetch Pexels' curated editorial photo feed; returns paginated photo objects with image URLs in multiple sizes (original, large, medium, small, tiny) and photographer info.photoFetch full metadata for a single Pexels photo by numeric id, including all sized image URLs, photographer name/URL, dimensions, and alt text.video_searchSearch Pexels videos by keyword (required); returns paginated results with video file URLs at multiple resolutions, duration, and videographer info.video_popularFetch Pexels' popular video feed; returns paginated video objects with file URLs at multiple resolutions, duration, and videographer info.videoFetch full metadata for a single Pexels video by numeric id, including file URLs at all available resolutions, duration, width, height, and videographer attribution.featured_collectionsList Pexels' featured curated collections; returns collection id, title, description, and media counts for photos and videos.collection_mediaFetch all photos and videos inside a specific Pexels collection by string id; returns paginated mixed media objects with URLs and metadata.
Notch tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from 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.
Pexels
{
"mcpServers": {
"pexels-3": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@pipeworx/mcp-pexels"
],
"env": {
"PLATFORM_PEXELS_KEY": "YOUR_PLATFORM_PEXELS_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Notch
{
"mcpServers": {
"notch": {
"url": "https://app.usenotch.ai/mcp/setup"
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Pexels is categorized under Multimedia Process and uses a local stdio subprocess. Notch belongs to Multimedia Process and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Pick Pexels for multimedia process work and Notch for multimedia process.
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.
Pexels has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Notch 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 pexels-3 and notch as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Pexels has a quality signal of 55/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Notch has 20/100 (Emerging) with 29 views, 12 installs and 0 GitHub stars.
