Stack Gems

Measured conclusion: Deep-tested. L2 outcome: tools_ok.

Read-only search of 900+ reviewed developer tools, each with a verdict and caveats. Free/OSS first.

Add to your agent

Copy this into your MCP client config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Stack Gems": {
      "url": "https://stackgems.com/api/mcp",
      "transport": "streamable-http"
    }
  }
}

Measured tools (5)

• search_gems read-only

  Search the Stack Gems catalog of reviewed developer tools. Matches name, tagline, verdict, Catch, subcategory and tags. Filters combine with AND. Returns verdict and the first sentence of the Catch for each hit.

  Parameters:

  • tag — string — Comma list of tags, all must match (see list_categories), e.g. "mcp,self-host"
  • sort — string — curated = free/OSS first
  • limit — integer
  • query — string — Free text, e.g. "postgres backup" or "browser automation"
  • pricing — string
  • category — string
  • subcategory — string — Subcategory slug or label, e.g. "coding-agents"

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive not declared · idempotent yes · open-world no

• get_gem read-only

  Full Stack Gems review of one tool by slug: what is good, the Catch, verdict, license, repo health, plus links to its best-of list and alternatives.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string — Tool slug, e.g. "ollama" (from search_gems)

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive not declared · idempotent yes · open-world no

• best_for read-only

  Ranked shortlist for a use case or category (e.g. "vector database", "coding agents", "auth", "mcp"), free and open source first, each with verdict and Catch. Falls back to search when no list matches.

  Parameters:

  • use_case (required) — string — What the tool is for, e.g. "self-hosted auth" or "kubernetes"
  • limit — integer

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive not declared · idempotent yes · open-world no

• get_alternatives read-only

  Free and open-source alternatives to a tool from the same category, with verdict and Catch. Works for any slug in the catalog.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string — Tool slug, e.g. "cursor"
  • limit — integer

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive not declared · idempotent yes · open-world no

• list_categories read-only

  The catalog vocabulary: stacks (categories), best-of lists with counts, and the tag vocabulary with counts. Use the slugs as filters in search_gems.

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive not declared · idempotent yes · open-world no

Publisher website

Measured by MCPYP probing. Untested fields are omitted, never estimated. Listing is always free; MCPYP never proxies calls or stores user tokens.