Tafsiri MCP vs Equalang MCP

A side-by-side look at the Tafsiri MCP and Equalang MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.

Tafsiri MCP logoTafsiri MCPTranslation Services · Local subprocess (stdio)Kenya translation infrastructure via MCP — Swahili/English glossary, Kikuyu guide, Luo guide, official documen L557GoodAuth: not declaredEqualang MCP logoEqualang MCPTranslation Services · Local subprocess (stdio)Translate documents, subtitles, pictures, audio and video with layout kept; transcribe recordings.64GoodAuth: not declared

Verdict: choose Tafsiri MCP for translation services work as a local process; choose Equalang MCP for translation services as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Which MCP server should you choose?

Tafsiri MCP logoChoose Tafsiri MCP when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Translation Services domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • You want tools like swahili_english_glossary, kikuyu_language_guide, luo_language_guide.
Explore Tafsiri MCP

Equalang MCP logoChoose Equalang MCP when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Translation Services domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • You have the keys it needs: EQUALANG_API_KEY.
  • You want tools like translate_file, transcribe_recording, translate_text.
Explore Equalang MCP

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

SpecTafsiri MCP logoTafsiri MCPEqualang MCP logoEqualang MCP
CategoryTranslation ServicesTranslation Services
Quality signal57/100 · Good64/100 · Good
Install commandConfirmedConfirmed
TransportLocal subprocess (stdio)Local subprocess (stdio)
AuthNot declaredNot declared
PricingNot declaredNot declared
Required env varsNone listedEQUALANG_API_KEY
Verified ownerCommunity listingCommunity listing
GitHub stars011
Directory activity 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
Tools68

Tools & capabilities

Tafsiri MCP tools 6

  • swahili_english_glossaryTranslate civic and government terms between Swahili and English from a small glossary, or list the whole glossary. Use when someone needs the Swahili or English word for an official term. term is looked up in both directions; a term not in the glossary returns null for both directions with a note, not a guess. Returns the source label, the term, swahili_to_english, english_to_swahili and a note, or the glossary and its size when no term is given. A short civic glossary labelled DEMO, not a translation service: use a professional translator for important documents. Read-only; no side effects.
  • kikuyu_language_guideBasic Kikuyu (Gikuyu) phrases and facts: how many people belong to the community, the script and learning resources. Use when someone wants an introduction to Kikuyu or a basic phrase. term filters the phrase list; an unmatched term returns empty matches. Returns the source label, the matching phrases or the basics, an ethnic-group population (about 8.1 million, 2019 census, which is not a count of speakers), the script, resources and a note. A small reference labelled DEMO: not a dictionary. Read-only; no side effects.
  • luo_language_guideBasic Dholuo (Luo) phrases and facts: community size, script and resources. Use when someone wants an introduction to Dholuo or a basic phrase. term filters the phrase list; an unmatched term returns empty matches. Returns the source label, the matching phrases or the basics, an ethnic-group population (about 5.07 million, fourth largest in the 2019 census, which is not a count of speakers), the script, resources and a note. A small reference labelled DEMO: not a dictionary. Read-only; no side effects.
  • official_document_glossaryExplain Kenyan official documents (such as ID, birth certificate, KRA PIN) with the issuing office and where to apply. Use when someone asks what a document is called or where to get it. document_type is matched by name (spaces become underscores); an unmatched type returns a note pointing to ecitizen.go.ke instead of a guess. Returns the source label, the document and the matching information, or all documents and the portal when none is given. A sample labelled DEMO: confirm with the issuing office. Read-only; no side effects.
  • language_detection_guideHelp identify which Kenyan language a text is in and where to find language tools: the languages with speaker numbers, type, markers, and translation and NLP resources. Use when someone is unsure which language a text sample is. This tool does NOT detect the language itself: text_sample is accepted but the same guide is returned. Returns the languages with their common marker words and tool pointers such as Google Translate and Masakhane. Speaker figures are rough and labelled DEMO. Read-only; no side effects.
  • civic_terminology_swahiliSwahili and English terms for common Kenyan civic processes (voter registration, getting an ID and others), with how to do each. Use when someone needs the Swahili wording or steps for a civic process. process matches by name or by text in the entries; if none match, ALL processes are returned. Returns the source label, the process and the guidance, or all processes and the portal. A short list labelled DEMO: check the issuing office. Read-only; no side effects.

Equalang MCP tools 8

  • translate_fileTranslate a whole file into another language and save the result, keeping its layout, tables, images and formulas. Documents (pdf, docx, pptx, xlsx, epub, html, txt), subtitles (srt, vtt), pictures (jpg, png, webp, bmp), and recordings (mp3, m4a, wav, flac, ogg, aac, opus, mp4, mov, webm, mkv), which come back as translated subtitles. Answers with the paths written, never the contents. COSTS THE USER'S CREDITS: say what it will cost and get their agreement first -- estimate_cost gives the number for a file.
  • transcribe_recordingWrite down what is said in an audio or video file (mp3, m4a, wav, flac, ogg, aac, opus, mp4, mov, webm, mkv) as timed text, in the language spoken, and save it. For a translation of the recording use translate_file instead. Charged for the speech actually heard: silence and music are not. COSTS THE USER'S CREDITS: say what it will cost and get their agreement first -- estimate_cost gives the number for a file.
  • translate_textTranslate plain text and answer with the translation. Pass texts for separate strings -- labels, messages: each translated on its own, answered in order, at most 50 texts of 5,000 characters, 20,000 characters per call. Pass text for one long text -- an article, a chapter, up to 100,000 characters: it is cut at sentences by Equalang, so do not split it yourself. For anything that is a file, use translate_file, which keeps its formatting. Charged by length, a small amount; the answer says how much.
  • estimate_costUpload a local file without starting anything, and answer with the most a job on it can cost in credits. Free. Pass the returned file_id to translate_file or transcribe_recording so the file is not uploaded twice; kept_until says how long it is held. A recording is charged for the speech actually heard, usually less than the estimate.
  • check_jobLook a job up by id and, if it has finished, save its results. Use after a tool answered before its job was done.
  • cancel_jobStop a queued or running job. A cancelled job is not charged; one that had already finished is left as it is.
  • get_credit_balanceHow many credits the account has. Credits are bought at https://equalang.com/pricing; the same balance serves the website and this server.
  • list_languagesThe language codes Equalang takes, with their names, read from the live API. Needs no key. Use it to turn a language's name into its code.

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.

Tafsiri MCP

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tafsiri-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "tafsiri-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Equalang MCP

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "equalang-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@equalang/mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "EQUALANG_API_KEY": "YOUR_EQUALANG_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

Tafsiri MCP is categorized under Translation Services and uses a local stdio subprocess. Equalang MCP belongs to Translation Services and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Tafsiri MCP for translation services work and Equalang MCP for translation services.

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.

Tafsiri MCP has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Equalang MCP 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 tafsiri-mcp and equalang-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

On AllMCPs, Tafsiri MCP has a quality signal of 57/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Equalang MCP has 64/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 11 GitHub stars.