# AGENTS.md vs mcp.so AGENTS.md records 245,457 monthly visits with +5.7% month-over-month growth and Free pricing. mcp.so records 286,704 monthly visits with -3% growth and Free pricing. | Metric | [AGENTS.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/agents-md) | [mcp.so](https://openaitools.app/tool/mcp-server) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Website URL | https://agents.md | https://mcp.so | | Categories | AI Agent, AI Code Assistant, AI Developer Tools | AI Tools Directory, Large Language Models (LLMs), AI Developer Tools | | Pricing Model | Free | Free | | Monthly Visits | 245,457 | 286,704 | | MoM Growth Rate | +5.7% | -3% | | Primary Market | United States | United States | | Direct Visits | 156,868 | 107,648 | | Review Score | 4.7 | 4.2 | | Saved Count | 0 | 0 | | Supported Platforms | Website | Website | ## AGENTS.md AGENTS.md solves a very concrete problem: AI coding agents need operational context — how to install dependencies, run the dev server, execute tests, and respect project conventions — but stuffing all of that into a README makes the README worse for human contributors. AGENTS.md gives that guidance its own dedicated file, written in plain Markdown with no required schema, so agents find it reliably while READMEs stay short and human-friendly. Because it is just Markdown, there is nothing to install and no proprietary tooling to adopt. You add an AGENTS.md at the repository root, list the sections that matter for your project, and agents that support the convention read it automatically. In large monorepos you can place additional AGENTS.md files inside subpackages; agents read the nearest file in the directory tree, so the closest one wins and each package can ship tailored instructions. The format emerged from collaboration across the AI developer ecosystem — including OpenAI Codex, Amp, Google's Jules, Cursor and Factory — and is now stewarded by the Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation. It is used by over 60,000 open-source projects and supported by a long list of agents including Codex, Jules, Aider, goose, opencode, Zed, Warp, VS Code, Devin, Amp, Cursor, RooCode, Gemini CLI, Kilo Code and GitHub Copilot. **Pricing & Plans:** AGENTS.md is completely free and open. There is no paid tier, no account and no commercial product attached to the format. - **Plain Markdown, no schema:** There are no required fields or special syntax. Use any headings you like and the agent parses the text you provide. - **Cross-agent compatibility:** One AGENTS.md works across dozens of coding agents such as Codex, Cursor, Jules, Aider, Gemini CLI, Zed and Copilot. - **Nested files for monorepos:** Drop extra AGENTS.md files into subpackages; agents read the nearest file in the directory tree, so local instructions take precedence. - **Separation from README:** Keeps human-facing READMEs concise while giving agents the build, test and convention details they actually need. - **Community-governed open format:** Stewarded by the Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation, with no vendor lock-in. **Strengths:** Zero setup: it is just a Markdown file, no SDK or account needed; Works consistently across a large and growing set of coding agents; Nested support makes it practical for large monorepos; Governed by a neutral foundation, so no single vendor controls it **Limitations:** Agents vary in how fully they honor the instructions they read; Without discipline it can drift out of date like any documentation; No formal schema means structure differs substantially between projects [Profile (Markdown)](https://openaitools.app/tool/agents-md.md) ## mcp.so mcp.so organises the fast-growing Model Context Protocol ecosystem in one searchable place. You can browse servers by category (developer tools, AI and agents, cloud infrastructure, memory and knowledge, media and design), inspect remote endpoints, and read setup details before wiring a server into Claude, Cursor or another MCP-compatible client. Featured and trending sections surface popular or newly added servers, and rankings help you gauge what the community is adopting. Beyond raw server listings, the site collects MCP clients (apps, IDEs and frameworks that speak the protocol), official CLI tools such as Bun, Cloudflare Wrangler, DuckDB and FFmpeg, reusable agent loops and skills, and curated collections. A feed tracks new arrivals, and submit/claim flows let maintainers add or take ownership of their own listings. For anyone building with AI agents, mcp.so works as a discovery and reference layer: pick a capability, check how the server connects and authenticates, follow the setup guide, and keep an eye on what the community is installing each week. It is a directory, so it does not itself host or run the servers it lists. **Pricing & Plans:** Free to browse and use the directory. Advertising, featured placement and claiming listings are handled through the site; no subscription is required for normal browsing. - **Searchable MCP server directory:** Find servers by name, category, tag, runtime or integration, with featured, trending and newest sections that track community activity. - **Remote endpoints and setup guides:** Review hosted MCP endpoints, authentication requirements and per-client setup instructions before you connect anything. - **Clients, CLI tools and skills:** Discover MCP-compatible clients, official command-line tools, agent loops and reusable Claude/Codex skills in dedicated sections. - **Submit and claim listings:** Maintainers can publish new servers and claim existing listings so entries stay accurate and attributable. - **Categories, rankings and feed:** Browse top categories, compare curated selections and follow a live feed of newly added servers, tools and skills. **Strengths:** Broad, regularly updated coverage of MCP servers and clients; Setup and authentication details gathered together in one place; Free to use with no account needed for browsing; Includes CLI tools, agent skills and curated collections beyond raw listings **Limitations:** Listings are community-submitted, so quality and freshness can vary; It is a directory only, not a place to run or host MCP servers; Ad and featured placements can push less relevant results higher [Profile (Markdown)](https://openaitools.app/tool/mcp-server.md) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do AGENTS.md and mcp.so compare in monthly traffic? AGENTS.md has 245,457 monthly visits, while mcp.so has 286,704. Traffic estimates describe audience size, not product quality. ### How do their growth rates compare? AGENTS.md has a month-over-month growth rate of +5.7%; mcp.so has -3%. ### How does pricing compare? AGENTS.md: Free. AGENTS.md is completely free and open. There is no paid tier, no account and no commercial product attached to the format. mcp.so: Free. Free to browse and use the directory. Advertising, featured placement and claiming listings are handled through the site; no subscription is required for normal browsing. ## Alternatives | # | Tool Name | Monthly Visits | MoM Growth Rate | Pricing Model | Summary | Profile (Markdown) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | [Cursor](https://openaitools.app/tool/cursor) | 23,297,751 | +8.4% | Freemium | An AI-native code editor that natively reads project rules and markdown instructions to guide its coding agent. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/cursor.md) | | 2 | [Google Antigravity](https://openaitools.app/tool/google-antigravity) | 16,054,109 | +8.1% | Freemium | Provides an agentic development platform for parallel coding agents, but requires platform tooling rather than standard markdown files. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/google-antigravity.md) | | 3 | [VS Code](https://openaitools.app/tool/vs-code) | 7,397,370 | -3.8% | Freemium | An extensible code editor supporting various AI assistant extensions, requiring manual setup rather than a universal agent file format. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/vs-code.md) | | 4 | [Dang.ai](https://openaitools.app/tool/dang-ai) | 552,907 | +17.5% | Free | Curated directory and search engine cataloging thousands of general AI products rather than MCP developer integrations. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/dang-ai.md) | | 5 | [Skillry](https://openaitools.app/tool/skillry) | 535,817 | +1,762.1% | Freemium | Supplies pre-packaged agent skills and instructions, but focuses on modular workflow templates rather than standard repository documentation files. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/skillry.md) | | 6 | [Futurepedia](https://openaitools.app/tool/futurepedia-find-the-best-ai-tools-software) | 527,719 | +22.5% | Free | Massive general AI tools directory, offering broader software discovery but less focus on specific MCP servers. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/futurepedia-find-the-best-ai-tools-software.md) | | 7 | [SkillsMP — Agent Skills Marketplace](https://openaitools.app/tool/agent-skills-marketplace) | 470,744 | -3.7% | Free | Independent public directory indexing open-source agent skill files and MCP integrations for AI developers. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/agent-skills-marketplace.md) | | 8 | [Stork](https://openaitools.app/tool/stork) | 201,544 | +2.3% | Free | Developer-focused AI tools directory and pricing tracker, though less dedicated to community-contributed MCP server lists. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/stork.md) | | 9 | [AI Agent Store](https://openaitools.app/tool/ai-agent-store) | 169,388 | -5.4% | Freemium, Free Trial, Paid | Marketplace connecting users with ready-made AI agents and starter kits, but with fewer raw developer MCP tools. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/ai-agent-store.md) | | 10 | [Cursor Directory](https://openaitools.app/tool/cursor-directory) | 125,466 | +5.3% | Free | Community hub focused specifically on discovering and installing MCP servers and plugins for the Cursor IDE. | [.md](https://openaitools.app/tool/cursor-directory.md) | --- Source: https://openaitools.app/compare/agents-md-vs-mcp-server More Markdown: [Categories](https://openaitools.app/categories.md) · [Traffic rankings](https://openaitools.app/rankings.md) · [llms.txt](https://openaitools.app/llms.txt)