Youtube Transcripts vs MCP Youtube Transcript
A side-by-side look at the Youtube Transcripts and MCP Youtube Transcript MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Youtube Transcripts for social media work over a hosted endpoint; choose MCP Youtube Transcript 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 Transcripts when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Social Media domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
APIFY_API_TOKEN.
Choose MCP Youtube Transcript when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Social Media domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
get_transcript, get_timed_transcript, get_video_info.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Media | Social Media |
| Quality signal | 40/100 · Fair | 65/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Remote HTTP/SSE | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | No auth required |
| Pricing | Not declared | Free |
| Required env vars | APIFY_API_TOKEN | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 1 | 492 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 5 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | Not listed | 4 |
| Full listing | View Youtube Transcripts | View MCP Youtube Transcript |
Tools & capabilities
Youtube Transcripts tools
No tool names declared yet. Check the project README from the listing page.
MCP Youtube Transcript tools 4
get_transcriptRetrieves the transcript of a YouTube video.get_timed_transcriptRetrieves the transcript of a YouTube video with timestamps.get_video_infoRetrieves the video information.get_available_languagesRetrieves the available languages for the video.
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 Transcripts
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube-transcripts-2": {
"url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actors,docs,johnvc/YoutubeTranscripts"
}
}
}
MCP Youtube Transcript
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-youtube-transcript": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"--from",
"git+https://github.com/jkawamoto/mcp-youtube-transcript",
"mcp-youtube-transcript"
]
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Youtube Transcripts is categorized under Social Media and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. MCP Youtube Transcript belongs to Social Media and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Youtube Transcripts for social media work and MCP Youtube Transcript 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 Transcripts has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. MCP Youtube Transcript is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. 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-transcripts-2 and mcp-youtube-transcript as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Youtube Transcripts has a quality signal of 40/100 (Fair) with 2 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars. MCP Youtube Transcript has 65/100 (Great) with 5 views, 0 installs and 492 GitHub stars.