MCP registry and directory comparison
Last updated: October 23, 2026.
MCP registries and directories answer one question: which MCP servers exist, and which ones your people are allowed to use. They split into two groups. Public directories (the official MCP Registry, GitHub MCP Registry, Docker MCP Catalog, Smithery, Glama, PulseMCP) list servers anyone can find. Private registries (Mintive's MCP store, Azure API Center, Kong, Obot, Runlayer) list only the servers an organization has approved, and decide who can use them. Several products do both, and Mintive pairs both with a gateway: a public directory at mintive.com/servers and a private registry for each organization.
How we compared these MCP registries and directories
The facts come from each vendor's public documentation, pricing pages and repositories, checked on October 23, 2026. Server counts are what each vendor states on its own pages that day; they are self-reported and change daily. A cell says "not documented" when we couldn't find the fact on the vendor's own pages, which doesn't mean the capability is missing. There is no ranking column: each row ends with when it fits best.
Public MCP server directories compared
| Directory | Type | Curation | Size (as stated, Oct 23, 2026) | Hosting and pricing | Best fit when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official MCP Registry | Public metaregistry (metadata only), in preview | Namespace verification; states minimal moderation, removes malware, spam and broken entries | Not stated | Listing only; points to npm, PyPI, Docker Hub or remote URLs; Community-supported project | You build a client or marketplace and need canonical server metadata |
| GitHub MCP Registry | Public directory for Copilot and VS Code | Partner and community servers; inclusion by request | 604 servers | Not documented; each listing is backed by a GitHub repository; Not documented | Your developers use Copilot and VS Code and want one-click installs |
| Docker MCP Catalog | Public catalog plus custom catalogs for your org | Docker-curated servers packaged as Docker images | 300+ servers | Local servers run as containers on your machine; Not documented | Developers want signed, containerized servers on their own machines |
| Smithery | Public directory | Staying up as a public directory; a verified subset shows direct URLs | 27,365+ | Its proxy, managed OAuth, API and CLI shut down on October 31, 2026, per its site; pages will show direct URLs; Paid plans cancelled and refunded, per its site | You want to browse public servers and connect to vendor URLs directly |
| Glama | Public directory, plus paid hosting and a gateway | Indexes, scans and grades servers on security, compatibility and ease of use | 109,274 servers | Optional: a dedicated machine per deployment; Hosting billed on top of the workspace plan | You want a large searchable index with graded listings and optional hosting |
| PulseMCP | Public directory, plus a partner sub-registry API | Crawling with manual curation; new submissions paused | 21,649 servers | Not documented; Not documented | You want a daily-updated index, or partner API access to enriched metadata |
Private and enterprise MCP registries compared
| Registry | Type | Curation | Hosting | Pricing | Best fit when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mintive | Public directory at /servers (281 servers) plus a private MCP store per organization | Pre-vetted catalog; admins approve servers into the store, which starts empty | Hosted connectors in Mintive's managed runtime, plus remote MCPs by URL | Plans on mintive.com/pricing | You want a vetted directory, a governed private registry and the gateway that enforces it in one place |
| Composio | Hosted toolkit directory with managed MCP endpoints | Composio-built toolkits | Served from Composio's backend | Hobby $0; Pro $29/month; Enterprise custom | You want a hosted app-integration catalog with managed per-user auth |
| Azure API Center | Private registry (inventory) for your organization | Your team registers servers; a partner list is included | Inventory only; servers are built and hosted elsewhere in Azure | Free and Standard plans | You run Azure and want MCP servers inventoried next to your APIs |
| Kong MCP Registry | Private registry in the Konnect Catalog, in tech preview | Platform teams register servers | Not documented | Not documented; contact Kong | You run Kong Konnect and want MCP servers in your API catalog |
| Obot | Open-source catalog plus registries for your org | Default catalog maintained in a public repository; admins assign access | Hosts MCP servers, plus remote servers | Community free (up to 100 users); Cloud and Enterprise | You want an open-source catalog and registry you host yourself |
| Runlayer | Private catalog of pre-validated connector templates | Runlayer tests each connector; ToolGuard scans tools | Hosts some connectors; proxies others | Not documented; book a demo | You want a vetted connector catalog with request and approval flows |
Private MCP registry admin controls and registry API
| Registry | Admin control over what users can add | Registry API |
|---|---|---|
| Mintive | Admins, or custom roles with Create MCPs, add servers; members see a Request button; force-disable or manual approval for new tools (org-wide default on Enterprise) | Read-only subregistry endpoint per organization on the MCP registry API (on request) |
| Composio | allowed_tools per MCP server configuration | SDK and REST API; MCP registry API not documented |
| Azure API Center | Access management controls who can view and use servers | MCP registry endpoint (v0.1/servers) |
| Kong MCP Registry | Token-gated access; approval workflow not documented | Built on the MCP Registry API specification |
| Obot | Admins choose which users and groups see each server | Implements the MCP registry API at /v0.1/servers |
| Runlayer | Users request with a reason; admins approve or reject | Not documented |
MCP registry security, authentication and version control
| Registry or directory | Security checks on listed servers | Auth to servers | Version pinning and change alerts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mintive | Pre-vetted catalog; tool change diffs surface added or rewritten tools for review, the window for rug pulls and tool poisoning | Per-user or shared credentials; OAuth with automatic client registration, bearer token or none | Manual approval of new tools; manifest diffs; Slack alerts on tool changes |
| Official MCP Registry | Namespace verification via GitHub, DNS or HTTP; scanning left to package registries | Not documented | Versioned server metadata; alerts not documented |
| GitHub MCP Registry | Not documented for listings | OAuth for remote servers during install | Not documented |
| Docker MCP Catalog | Docker-built, signed images with provenance and SBOMs | OAuth for remote servers through the MCP Toolkit | Versioned servers; custom catalogs control which versions are used |
| Smithery | Verified-server set; scanning not documented | Managed OAuth ends October 31, 2026, per its site | Not documented |
| Glama | Security scanning stated; method not documented | Managed OAuth 2.1 with refresh on its gateway | Not documented |
| PulseMCP | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Composio | Scanning not documented | Managed OAuth: consent, token storage and refresh | Toolkit versions managed per session |
| Azure API Center | Not documented for MCP servers | Not documented | Version and lifecycle stage per server |
| Kong MCP Registry | Not documented | Not documented | Semantic version required per server |
| Obot | Filters that inspect, reject or modify tool calls | MCP OAuth with user or shared credentials | Not documented |
| Runlayer | ToolGuard static scan results reviewable before a connector is enabled | OAuth 2.1, bearer token or none, with token refresh | Not documented |
How to choose an MCP registry
Private MCP registry for platform and security teams
Start from a private registry: one list of approved servers, an approval step for anything new, and access by user or group. Then check what enforces it. A registry tells clients what exists, but a client can still be configured by hand, and GitHub's own docs say its Copilot Registry only policy matches on server name and "is not the recommended method" for restricting access. Pairing the registry with a gateway narrows that gap, because tool calls only reach servers the gateway knows. In Mintive the MCP store is the registry and the Virtual MCP is what users connect to, so the two can't drift apart.
Using public MCP server directories safely
Public directories are good for discovery, and their vetting varies a lot: the official MCP Registry states minimal moderation, while Docker signs its images and Glama grades listings. A server that looked fine at install time can also change its tools later. Look for tool change alerts and manual approval of new tools wherever the server actually runs.
MCP registry API for clients and marketplaces
Use the official MCP Registry's API and server.json format as the source of canonical metadata, and read organization registries that implement the same API (Mintive, Obot, Kong, Azure API Center) the same way.
MCP registry FAQ
What is the difference between an MCP registry and an MCP gateway?
A registry lists MCP servers and the metadata clients need to find and install them. A gateway sits in the call path and handles authentication, per-user credentials, tool access and logging. Some products combine both: Mintive, Obot and Glama pair a catalog or registry with a gateway. See the MCP gateway comparison.
What is a private MCP registry?
A private registry lists only the MCP servers your organization has approved, usually with access set per user or group. The official MCP Registry does not accept private servers and recommends hosting your own. Mintive, Azure API Center, Kong, Obot and Runlayer document organization-scoped registries.
Where can I find MCP servers?
Public directories include the official MCP Registry, GitHub MCP Registry, Docker MCP Catalog, Smithery, Glama and PulseMCP. Their stated sizes range from a few hundred to more than 100,000 listings, and the counts are self-reported and change daily. Mintive's directory at mintive.com/servers lists featured servers you can connect through the gateway.
Are MCP servers on public directories safe to use?
It depends on the directory. The official MCP Registry tells consumers to assume minimal moderation, Docker signs its images, and Glama and Runlayer document scanning. A server can also change its tools after you install it, so look for tool change alerts and manual approval of new tools.
Can I make GitHub Copilot or VS Code use only approved MCP servers?
GitHub Copilot lets admins set an MCP registry URL and a Registry only policy, in public preview, which matches on server name or ID. GitHub notes it is not the recommended method for restricting access and points to managed settings. A registry endpoint on the MCP registry API, such as Mintive's, Azure API Center's or Obot's, can be the registry Copilot reads. See gateway customization for Mintive's registry endpoint.
What is the MCP registry API?
The official MCP Registry publishes a REST API and an OpenAPI specification that other registries can implement. Mintive, Obot, Kong, Azure API Center and PulseMCP document endpoints built on it, so a client that supports the specification can read any of them the same way.
Related
- MCP gateway comparison: 13 MCP gateways side by side
- Gateway customization: Mintive's MCP store and registry endpoint
- Tool change notifications: catching rug pulls and tool poisoning
- Best MCP registry tools on the blog
Sources
Every competitor fact on this page comes from that vendor's own public documentation, pricing pages or repository, checked on October 23, 2026.