What is the key difference between Semanticscholar and Search Papers?

Semanticscholar belongs to the Research category with local stdio execution, while Search Papers belongs to the Research category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Semanticscholar or Search Papers 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 Semanticscholar and Search Papers free or paid?

Semanticscholar operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Search Papers operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Semanticscholar lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Search Papers lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Semanticscholar and Search Papers 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.

How do I install Semanticscholar or Search Papers in Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf?

Both servers follow the standard Model Context Protocol configuration format. Simply copy the JSON block from the configuration section above and paste it into your AI client's mcpServers configuration object (for instance in claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json ), then completely restart or refresh the application.

Are Semanticscholar and Search Papers free to use, or do they require API keys?

Semanticscholar is listed under a Free / Open Source model with No auth required . Search Papers operates under a Free / Open Source model with No auth required . If environment variables are required (such as API keys), be sure to define them under the env key in your MCP client's configuration file.

Can I run both Semanticscholar and Search Papers at the same time in my AI client?

Yes! MCP clients support multi-server orchestration. You can include both semanticscholar and search-papers as distinct keys inside the single mcpServers object in your configuration file. Your AI assistant will automatically select and call the appropriate tool from either server during chat sessions.

Which MCP server has higher directory engagement and quality ratings?

On AllMCPs, Semanticscholar has a Quality Score of 27 /100 ( Emerging ) with 0 views, 0 installs, and 0 GitHub stars. Search Papers holds a Quality Score of 24 /100 ( Emerging ) with 0 views, 0 installs, and 0 GitHub stars.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Semanticscholar vs Search Papers

In-depth architectural comparison of the Semanticscholar and Search Papers 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

Semanticscholar

Research · Local stdio

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

Search Papers

Research · Local stdio

Quality: 24/100 (Emerging) | Auth: No auth required

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

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Semanticscholar when:

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

Explore Semanticscholar Details

Choose Search Papers when:

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

Explore Search Papers Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	S Semanticscholar Research	S Search Papers Research
Summary	Search 200M+ papers, authors, citations, and recommendations via Semantic Scholar	An MCP server to search papers from arXiv
Category & Scope	Research	Research
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Semanticscholar Tools (0)

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

Search Papers 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).

Semanticscholar Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

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

Search Papers Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Semanticscholar is categorized under Research and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Search Papers belongs to Research using local stdio subprocess. Select Semanticscholar when you need capabilities focused on research and Search Papers when you require tools for research.

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