What is the key difference between Relay and Messages Bridge?

Relay belongs to the Communication category with local stdio execution, while Messages Bridge belongs to the Communication category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Relay or Messages Bridge 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 Relay and Messages Bridge free or paid?

Relay operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Messages Bridge operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Relay lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Messages Bridge lists 0 tools with 1 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Relay and Messages Bridge 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

Relay vs Messages Bridge

In-depth architectural comparison of the Relay and Messages Bridge 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

Relay

Communication · Local stdio

Quality: 27/100 (Emerging) | Auth: No auth required

Messages Bridge

Communication · Local stdio

Quality: 36/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Relay if you need specialized Communication tools running via a local process. Choose Messages Bridge 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 Relay 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 Relay Details

Choose Messages Bridge 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 Messages Bridge Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	R Relay Communication	Messages Bridge Communication
Summary	Business phone and SMS for teams: calls, texts, transcripts, contacts and call flows.	MCP connector for iMessage & Contacts via a local Mac agent + Vercel relay
Category & Scope	Communication	Communication
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Relay Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

Messages Bridge 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).

Relay Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "relay-3": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "relay-3"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Messages Bridge Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "messages-bridge": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "apple-messages-agent"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

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

More alternatives to Relay More alternatives to Messages Bridge Communication category hub Canonical compare URL