What is the key difference between Code Assistant and DesktopCommanderMCP?

Code Assistant belongs to the Coding Agents category with local stdio execution, while DesktopCommanderMCP belongs to the Coding Agents category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Code Assistant or DesktopCommanderMCP 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 Code Assistant and DesktopCommanderMCP free or paid?

Code Assistant operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required). DesktopCommanderMCP operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Code Assistant lists 6 tools with 1 views and 181 GitHub stars. DesktopCommanderMCP lists 6 tools with 1 views and 9,719 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Code Assistant and DesktopCommanderMCP 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

Code Assistant vs DesktopCommanderMCP

In-depth architectural comparison of the Code Assistant and DesktopCommanderMCP 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

Code Assistant

Coding Agents · Local stdio

Quality: 48/100 (Fair) | Auth: API Key required

DesktopCommanderMCP

Coding Agents · Local stdio

Quality: 51/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Code Assistant if you need specialized Coding Agents tools running via a local process. Choose DesktopCommanderMCP if your workspace requires Coding Agents integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Code Assistant when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Coding Agents domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
You have access to required keys: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, GOOGLE_VERTEX_AI_API_KEY, OPENROUTER_API_KEY, SAP_AI_CORE_API_KEY, GROQ_API_KEY, CEREBRAS_API_KEY, MISTRAL_API_KEY.
Primary tools included: Native GUI, terminal mode, headless MCP server, ACP editor agent, Supports multiple LLM providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Vertex AI, Adaptive tool syntax and real-time streaming with safe filtering.

Explore Code Assistant Details

Choose DesktopCommanderMCP when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Coding Agents domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: (Free / Open Source).

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Code Assistant stippi Coding Agents	DesktopCommanderMCP wonderwhy-er Coding Agents
Summary	Coding agent with basic list, read, replaceinfile, write, executecommand and web search tools. Supports multiple projects concurrently.	A swiss-army-knife that can manage/execute programs and read/write/search/edit code and text files.
Category & Scope	Coding Agents

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Code Assistant Tools (6)

Native GUI, terminal mode, headless MCP server, ACP editor agent

Supports multiple LLM providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Vertex AI

Adaptive tool syntax and real-time streaming with safe filtering

Transparent file encoding and line ending preservation

Supports multiple concurrent projects with session branching and persistence

Browser automation with human-in-the-loop login handoff

DesktopCommanderMCP Tools (6)

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).

Code Assistant Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stippi-code-assistant": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "stippi-code-assistant"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY_HERE",
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY_HERE",
        "GOOGLE_VERTEX_AI_API_KEY": "YOUR_GOOGLE_VERTEX_AI_API_KEY_HERE",
        "OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENROUTER_API_KEY_HERE",
        "SAP_AI_CORE_API_KEY": "YOUR_SAP_AI_CORE_API_KEY_HERE",
        "GROQ_API_KEY": "YOUR_GROQ_API_KEY_HERE",
        "CEREBRAS_API_KEY": "YOUR_CEREBRAS_API_KEY_HERE",
        "MISTRAL_API_KEY": "YOUR_MISTRAL_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

DesktopCommanderMCP Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wonderwhy-er-desktopcommandermcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@wonderwhy-er/desktop-commander@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DESKTOP_COMMANDER_CONFIG_PATH": "YOUR_DESKTOP_COMMANDER_CONFIG_PATH_HERE",
        "DESKTOP_COMMANDER_LOG_LEVEL": "YOUR_DESKTOP_COMMANDER_LOG_LEVEL_HERE",
        "DESKTOP_COMMANDER_PORT": "YOUR_DESKTOP_COMMANDER_PORT_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Code Assistant is categorized under Coding Agents and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, DesktopCommanderMCP belongs to Coding Agents using local stdio subprocess. Select Code Assistant when you need capabilities focused on coding agents and DesktopCommanderMCP when you require tools for coding agents.

More alternatives to Code Assistant More alternatives to DesktopCommanderMCP Coding Agents category hub