Threadctx MCP vs Ctxfile

In-depth architectural comparison of the Threadctx MCP and Ctxfile 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.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Threadctx MCP when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Freemium).
• You have access to required keys: THREADCTX_API_KEY, THREADCTX_MODE, THREADCTX_NO_AUTO_RULES.
• Primary tools included: memory_write, memory_query.

Explore Threadctx MCP Details

Choose Ctxfile when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Knowledge & Memory domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: Structured project snapshots, Session saving and thread handoffs, Schema-enforced context ingestion.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Threadctx MCP threadctx-dev Knowledge & Memory	Ctxfile ctxfile Knowledge & Memory
Summary	Shared team memory for AI coding agents. Decisions, fixes, and gotchas persist per repo and are shared across Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP client — what one teammate's agent learns, everyone's agents remember. Local-first, zero-dependency. npx -y threadctx-mcp	Local-first MCP server that snapshots your project's working state — files, git, plan, and decisions — into one structured context object and hands it to any MCP client in a single call. Save a session in one agent, continue it in another. Zero network calls by default; read-only over your project. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP client. npx -y ctxfile
Category & Scope

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

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).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "threadctx-dev-threadctx-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "threadctx-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "THREADCTX_API_KEY": "YOUR_THREADCTX_API_KEY_HERE",
        "THREADCTX_MODE": "YOUR_THREADCTX_MODE_HERE",
        "THREADCTX_NO_AUTO_RULES": "YOUR_THREADCTX_NO_AUTO_RULES_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

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

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