MCP Hub vs Smithery
MCP Hub and Smithery side by side: what each one is, verified plan pricing and install commands where we have them, and the full review of each.
MCP Hub
Centralized manager for MCP servers. Connect once to localhost:37373 and access all your servers through a single endpoint. REST API, web UI, and VS Code config compatible.
Smithery
Registry and hosting platform for MCP servers, now part of Arcade.dev. 27,300+ MCPs listed. One-command install and configuration via CLI. Supports local and hosted deployments.
At a glance
| Field | | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | MCP Tools | MCP Tools |
| Website | github.com | smithery.ai |
| Pricing | Free and open source (MIT) | Registry - smithery.ai stays up as a public directory of MCP servers, now powered by Arcade.dev; Paid plans - Smithery is refunding every charge since August 5 and cancelling subscriptions, as its connection services shut down on October 31, 2026 |
| Install | npm install -g mcp-hub | Not verified yet |
| Models | MCP Hub does not run models. It aggregates STDIO, streamable-http and SSE MCP servers behind one endpoint (localhost:37373/mcp) for clients such as Claude Desktop and Cline. It implements MCP 2025-03-26 and does not support sampling, roots or completion. | From October 31, 2026, Smithery is a public (non-proxied) MCP registry. A curated set of verified servers show direct MCP URLs on their registry pages (for example mcp.linear.app/mcp). Server URLs on run.tools and server.smithery.ai, the Smithery API, Connect and Toolbox, Smithery accounts and API keys, and the Smithery CLI and SDKs stop working that day, so connect to each vendor's official MCP URL instead. |
| Last verified | October 31, 2026 | October 31, 2026 |
In Depth
MCP Hub
MCP Hub acts as a central coordinator for MCP servers and clients, eliminating the need to configure each server connection individually. It provides two interfaces: a Management Interface with REST API and web UI for managing multiple MCP servers, and an MCP Server Interface at localhost:37373/mcp that lets any MCP client connect to one endpoint and access all server capabilities. It uses JSON configuration files with universal placeholder syntax for environment variables and supports VS Code's .vscode/mcp.json format, so you can use the same config files across both VS Code and MCP Hub. For developers running multiple MCP servers who are tired of configuring connections in every client separately, MCP Hub is the missing orchestration layer.
Smithery
Smithery is a registry and management platform for Model Context Protocol servers, and has been part of Arcade.dev since its August 2026 acquisition. The CLI lets you add MCP servers to your client from your terminal in one command, without hand-editing JSON config files. It supports both local clients where tools run on your machine and remote Smithery connections served through its REST API and Vercel AI SDK integration. You name the target client (smithery mcp add <server> --client <name>), such as Claude Desktop or Cursor, and it writes the config for that client. The free Hobby plan covers 50K RPCs a month. For developers entering the MCP ecosystem, Smithery is the easiest on-ramp. Browse the registry, run a single install command, and your AI assistant has new capabilities.
FAQ
Answers taken from each tool's verified fact sheet, with the date it was last checked.
How much does MCP Hub cost?
As of October 31, 2026: Free and open source (MIT). Source: GitHub README, CHANGELOG.
How do I install MCP Hub?
Official install commands as of October 31, 2026: npm install -g mcp-hub.
Which models does MCP Hub use?
As of October 31, 2026: MCP Hub does not run models. It aggregates STDIO, streamable-http and SSE MCP servers behind one endpoint (localhost:37373/mcp) for clients such as Claude Desktop and Cline. It implements MCP 2025-03-26 and does not support sampling, roots or completion.
How much does Smithery cost?
As of October 31, 2026: Registry - smithery.ai stays up as a public directory of MCP servers, now powered by Arcade.dev; Paid plans - Smithery is refunding every charge since August 5 and cancelling subscriptions, as its connection services shut down on October 31, 2026. Source: The future of Smithery, Smithery pricing, Smithery homepage, Arcade announcement.
Which models does Smithery use?
As of October 31, 2026: From October 31, 2026, Smithery is a public (non-proxied) MCP registry. A curated set of verified servers show direct MCP URLs on their registry pages (for example mcp.linear.app/mcp). Server URLs on run.tools and server.smithery.ai, the Smithery API, Connect and Toolbox, Smithery accounts and API keys, and the Smithery CLI and SDKs stop working that day, so connect to each vendor's official MCP URL instead.
