Kagi Search vs Backwork
Kagi Search is an MCP server published by kagisearch. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). Backwork is an MCP server published by tylergibbs1. Marketplaces we read that list it: 2 (Official MCP Registry, npm registry (MCP servers)). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-25. This pair was picked by a reader, not by our comparison rule, so search engines are asked not to index the page.
Where each is published
| Marketplace |  Kagi Search |  Backwork |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:c26439346cd6 Forks (GitHub): 49 Pulls (Docker Hub): 20 145 Stars (Docker Hub): 1 Stars (GitHub): 547 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
| Official MCP Registry | Not listed | Listed Version: 2.1.6 Downloads/month (npm): 1 449 Downloads/week (npm): 754 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 1 Not marked · First seen |
| npm registry (MCP servers) | Not listed | Listed Version: 2.1.6 Downloads/month (npm): 1 449 Downloads/week (npm): 754 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 1 Not marked · First seen |
Each figure is the marketplace's own and is never added up across marketplaces. A marketplace that publishes no figure shows none: no number is not zero.
The facts side by side
| Fact | Kagi Search | Backwork |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it (differs) | 1 (worse) | 2 (better) |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 547 (better) | 1 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 20 145 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 49 (better) | 0 (worse) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/kagisearch) | Remote server or your machine |
| Transport (differs) | stdio | Streamable HTTP |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 2 | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for | 2, secrets among them: 1 | 2, secrets among them: 1 |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/kagisearch/kagimcp | github.com/tylergibbs1/backwork-mcp |
| Changes in the last 7 days | 0 | 0 |
| First seen | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-11 |
| Endpoint at the last check (differs) | no remote endpoint we check | Responded 4 days ago |
Lines where the two differ have a tinted background and bold values. Where the data itself says which value is better (more marketplaces, a larger figure of the same marketplace, a fresher release, a verified mark on a marketplace that lists both), the better one is also marked green with ▲ and the worse one red with ▼. Where it runs, the transport, the tools, the settings, hooks, the bundle's parts, the licence and the week's changes are marked only as different: more or fewer is not better in itself.
What each says it does
Kagi Search
The Official Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Kagi Search & other tools.
Backwork
Medicare and commercial payer policies, prior auth, claim risk, and medical codes from Backwork.
How to run each
Kagi Search As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --env "KAGI_API_KEY=<YOUR_KAGI_API_KEY>" --transport stdio kagisearch -- docker run -i --rm -e KAGI_API_KEY mcp/kagisearchRequires: KAGI_API_KEY (secret)
Backwork As a remote MCP server
claude mcp add --transport http backwork-mcp https://backworkhealth.com/mcpRequires: BACKWORK_API_KEY (secret)
Commands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Only Backwork has a remote endpoint we check. How we check endpoints
Tools each declares
The marketplaces of Backwork publish no list of tools, so we do not compare tools.
Settings each asks for
Only Kagi Search asks for
KAGI_API_KEY (secret)KAGI_SUMMARIZER_ENGINE
Only Backwork asks for
BACKWORK_API_BASEBACKWORK_API_KEY (secret)
Settings as each marketplace publishes them. Asking for fewer is not better in itself.
What it can do: Kagi Search · What it can do: Backwork · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Docker MCP Catalog (desktop.docker.com/mcp/catalog) and Docker Hub. Data comes from the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. Package data comes from the public npm registry (registry.npmjs.org). Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.