Tool Directory MCP Server

MCP server for the AI Tool Directory — a live, human-edited catalog of 2,000+ AI tools. Lets any MCP client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, agent frameworks) query the catalog mid-task instead of guessing from a frozen training cut.

The headline tool is check_tool_status: whether an AI tool is still alive. It's the one fact LLMs reliably get wrong — models keep recommending products that shut down months ago. This server answers it from the directory's AI Graveyard, a maintained dataset of 150+ defunct and acquired AI tools, and suggests live alternatives when a tool is dead.

Tools

Tool	What it does
search_tools	Hybrid semantic search across the catalog — by keyword, use case, or category.
get_tool	Full profile of one tool: pricing, features, editorial verdict, last human-verified date.
check_tool_status	Is this tool active, deceased, or acquired? Date + cause if it shut down, plus live alternatives.
find_alternatives	Curated alternatives to a tool; live replacements if it's defunct.
compare_tools	Side-by-side comparison of two tools, with the editor's head-to-head verdict when one exists.
list_tools	Top-rated active tools for a category or job role, optionally filtered by pricing.

Read-only, no API key, no signup.

Install

Hosted endpoint (no install)

The server is also available as a remote MCP (Streamable HTTP) — point your client at:

https://tooldirectory.ai/api/mcp

Claude Desktop / Claude Code

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

Or with Claude Code:

claude mcp add tooldirectory -- npx -y tooldirectory-mcp

Cursor / Windsurf / other MCP clients

Use the same stdio command: npx -y tooldirectory-mcp.

Docker

docker build -t tooldirectory-mcp .
docker run -i tooldirectory-mcp

Example prompts

• "Is Jasper still operating? What happened to Inflection Pi?"
• "Find me alternatives to Midjourney with a free tier."
• "Compare Gamma and Beautiful.ai for making decks."
• "What are the best AI tools for sales teams?"

How it works

This package is a thin stdio front-end over the canonical hosted endpoint at tooldirectory.ai/api/mcp, where the search (Meilisearch hybrid semantic) and catalog logic live. Tool schemas are declared locally, so initialize and tools/list respond instantly with no network call; tools/call proxies to the hosted endpoint. Zero runtime dependencies.

Set TOOLDIRECTORY_MCP_ENDPOINT to override the upstream endpoint (e.g. for testing).

About the data

The catalog is maintained by Tool Directory — an AI tool company run by humans that use AI. Every listed tool has a lifecycle status; editorial reviews carry a named editor and a last-verified date. Related machine-readable surfaces:

• Research hub — AI tool mortality statistics
• Catalog feed / Graveyard feed
• /mcp — server documentation page

License

MIT