What is the key difference between VSCode Devtools and Shadcn Ui MCP Server?

VSCode Devtools belongs to the Developer Tools category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution, while Shadcn Ui MCP Server belongs to the Developer Tools category with local stdio execution.

How do I install VSCode Devtools or Shadcn Ui MCP Server 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 VSCode Devtools and Shadcn Ui MCP Server free or paid?

VSCode Devtools operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Shadcn Ui MCP Server operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

VSCode Devtools lists 1 tools with 4 views and 223 GitHub stars. Shadcn Ui MCP Server lists 10 tools with 3 views and 2,999 GitHub stars.

Can I use both VSCode Devtools and Shadcn Ui MCP Server 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

VSCode Devtools vs Shadcn Ui MCP Server

In-depth architectural comparison of the VSCode Devtools and Shadcn Ui MCP Server 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

VSCode Devtools

Developer Tools · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 53/100 (Good) | Auth: No auth required

Shadcn Ui MCP Server

Developer Tools · Local stdio

Quality: 68/100 (Great) | Auth: API Key required

Verdict Summary: Choose VSCode Devtools if you need specialized Developer Tools tools running via a hosted cloud SSE transport. Choose Shadcn Ui MCP Server if your workspace requires Developer Tools integration with local subprocess execution. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose VSCode Devtools when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
Primary tools included: rename.

Explore VSCode Devtools Details

Choose Shadcn Ui MCP Server when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Developer Tools domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: MCP_TRANSPORT_MODE, MCP_PORT, MCP_HOST, MCP_CORS_ORIGINS, GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN, UI_LIBRARY.
Primary tools included: get_component, get_component_demo, list_components.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	VSCode Devtools Developer Tools	Shadcn Ui MCP Server Jpisnice Developer Tools
Summary	Connect to VSCode ide and use semantic tools like findusages	MCP server that gives AI assistants seamless access to shadcn/ui v4 components, blocks, demos, and metadata.
Category & Scope	Developer Tools

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

VSCode Devtools Tools (1)

rename

Perform rename on a symbol

Shadcn Ui MCP Server Tools (10)

get_component

Get the source code for a specific shadcn/ui v4 component

get_component_demo

Get demo code illustrating how a shadcn/ui v4 component should be used

list_components

Get all available shadcn/ui v4 components

get_component_metadata

Get metadata for a specific shadcn/ui v4 component

get_directory_structure

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).

VSCode Devtools Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vscode-devtools": {
      "url": "http://localhost:8008/sse"
    }
  }
}

Shadcn Ui MCP Server Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jpisnice-shadcn-ui-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MCP_TRANSPORT_MODE": "YOUR_MCP_TRANSPORT_MODE_HERE",
        "MCP_PORT": "YOUR_MCP_PORT_HERE",
        "MCP_HOST": "YOUR_MCP_HOST_HERE",
        "MCP_CORS_ORIGINS": "YOUR_MCP_CORS_ORIGINS_HERE",
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "YOUR_GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN_HERE",
        "UI_LIBRARY": "YOUR_UI_LIBRARY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

VSCode Devtools is categorized under Developer Tools and uses a remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. In contrast, Shadcn Ui MCP Server belongs to Developer Tools using local stdio subprocess. Select VSCode Devtools when you need capabilities focused on developer tools and Shadcn Ui MCP Server when you require tools for developer tools.

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