mailsocket vs SMSTunnel
mailsocket is an MCP server published by mailsocket.app. Marketplaces we read that list it: 2 (Official MCP Registry, PyPI (MCP servers)). SMSTunnel is an MCP server published by narcisbodea. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-11-08. 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 |  mailsocket |  SMSTunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Official MCP Registry | Listed Version: 0.4.2 Downloads/month (PyPI): 861 Downloads/week (PyPI): 1 892 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 0 Not marked · First seen |
Listed Version: 1.1.0 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 0 Not marked · First seen |
| PyPI (MCP servers) | Listed Version: 0.4.2 Downloads/month (PyPI): 861 Downloads/week (PyPI): 1 892 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 0 Not marked · First seen |
Not listed |
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 | mailsocket | SMSTunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it (differs) | 2 (better) | 1 (worse) |
| Stars (GitHub) | 0 | 0 |
| Forks (GitHub) | 0 | 0 |
| Last release (differs) | 2026-11-01 (worse) | 2026-11-03 (better) |
| Where it runs (differs) | Remote server or your machine | On your machine (@narcisbodea/smstunnel-mcp) |
| Transport (differs) | Streamable HTTP | stdio |
| Tools it declares | Not published | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | 2, secrets among them: 1 | 4, secrets among them: 1 |
| Licence (differs) | MIT | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/mailsocket/mailsocket-sdk | github.com/narcisbodea/smstunnel-mcp |
| Changes in the last 7 days | 3 | 3 |
| First seen (differs) | 2026-10-11 | 2026-11-03 |
| Endpoint at the last check (differs) | Responded 25 h ago, requires authentication | no remote endpoint we check |
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
mailsocket
Test inboxes for AI agents testing your app: block until the OTP or magic link arrives.
SMSTunnel
Send texts (SMS) from your own Android phone and your own number, from any AI app.
How to run each
mailsocket As a remote MCP server
claude mcp add --transport http mailsocket-mcp https://mcp.mailsocket.app/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_TOKEN>"Requires: MAILSOCKET_API_KEY (secret), Authorization header
SMSTunnel As a local MCP server: npm package
claude mcp add --env "SMSTUNNEL_API_KEY=<YOUR_SMSTUNNEL_API_KEY>" --transport stdio smstunnel-mcp -- npx -y @narcisbodea/smstunnel-mcpRequires: SMSTUNNEL_API_KEY (secret)
Commands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Only mailsocket has a remote endpoint we check. How we check endpoints
Tools each declares
Neither one's marketplaces publish a list of tools, so there is nothing to compare.
Settings each asks for
Only mailsocket asks for
MAILSOCKET_API_KEY (secret)MAILSOCKET_BASE_URL
Only SMSTunnel asks for
SMSTUNNEL_API_KEY (secret)SMSTUNNEL_CONFIRM_EACH_TEXTSMSTUNNEL_DEFAULT_COUNTRY_CODESMSTUNNEL_DEVICE_ID
Settings as each marketplace publishes them. Asking for fewer is not better in itself.
What it can do: mailsocket · What it can do: SMSTunnel · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. Package data comes from the Python Package Index (pypi.org). Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.