YouTube vs YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP
A side-by-side look at the YouTube and YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose YouTube for social media work over a hosted endpoint; choose YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP for social media as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose YouTube when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Social Media domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
- You want tools like
youtube_home_feed, youtube_trending, youtube_search.
Choose YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Social Media domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Media | Social Media |
| Quality signal | 56/100 · Good | 48/100 · Fair |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Remote HTTP/SSE | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | Not declared |
| Pricing | Not declared | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 22 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 35 | Not listed |
| Full listing | View YouTube | View YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP |
Tools & capabilities
YouTube tools 35
youtube_home_feedYouTube home feed (anonymous, geo/lang aware).youtube_trendingTrending videos by region.youtube_searchSearch videos, channels, playlists.youtube_resolve_urlResolve a YouTube URL or share link to its videoId / pageType.youtube_downloadStream/download metadata for a video (formats, audio/video URLs, status). Bulk support: accepts ids for batched execution.youtube_hypeYouTube Hype: viral / hyped videos feed.youtube_hashtagPosts under a hashtag (without leading #).youtube_playlistPlaylist items by playlist id. Bulk support: accepts ids for batched execution.youtube_commentsTop-level comments thread for a video. Bulk support: accepts ids for batched execution.youtube_video_relatedRelated videos for a given video id. Bulk support: accepts ids for batched execution.youtube_channel_homeChannel home page payload (featured shelves + meta). Bulk support: accepts ids for batched execution.youtube_channel_aboutChannel description, links, country, subscriber count, banner. Bulk support: accepts ids for batched execution.- +23 more on the listing page
YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
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.
YouTube
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube-2": {
"url": "https://api.mcp.ai/p_youtube"
}
}
}
YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube-transcript-youtube-search-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"ajv-cli@5"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
YouTube is categorized under Social Media and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP belongs to Social Media and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick YouTube for social media work and YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP for social media.
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.
YouTube has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search 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 youtube-2 and youtube-transcript-youtube-search-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, YouTube has a quality signal of 56/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP has 48/100 (Fair) with 2 views, 0 installs and 22 GitHub stars.