Comparison

io.github.cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server vs LoreDocs

io.github.cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server is an MCP server published by cyanheads. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). LoreDocs is an MCP server published by labyrinth-analytics. Marketplaces we read that list it: 2 (Official MCP Registry, Claude Code: claude-plugins-community). 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

Where each is published
Marketplace	io.github.cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server	LoreDocs
Official MCP Registry	Listed Version: 0.3.9 Downloads/month (npm): 875 Downloads/week (npm): 330 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 2 Not marked · First seen 2026-10-11	Listed Version: 0.1.28 Downloads/month (PyPI): 581 Downloads/week (PyPI): 291 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 4 Not marked · First seen 2026-10-11
Claude Code: claude-plugins-community	Not listed	Listed Version: 0.1.19 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 4 Not marked · First seen 2026-10-11

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

io.github.cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server vs LoreDocs
Fact	io.github.cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server	LoreDocs
Marketplaces that list it (differs)	1 (worse)	2 (better)
Stars (GitHub) (differs)	2 (worse)	4 (better)
Forks (GitHub)	0	0
Last release (differs)	2026-10-18	Not published
Where it runs (differs)	Remote server (smithsonian.caseyjhand.com/mcp)	On your machine (loredocs)
Transport (differs)	Streamable HTTP	stdio
Tools it declares	Not published	Not published
Environment variables it asks for (differs)	7, secrets among them: 0	1, secrets among them: 1
Parts of the bundle (differs)	Not a bundle	3
Licence (differs)	Not stated	BSL-1.1
Repository (differs)	github.com/cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server	github.com/labyrinth-analytics/loredocs
Changes in the last 7 days (differs)	1	0
First seen	2026-10-11	2026-10-11
Endpoint at the last check (differs)	Responded 6 h ago	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

io.github.cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server

In its own words, on Official MCP Registry:

Search 14.5M Smithsonian Open Access objects, get CC0 images, find cross-collection connections.

LoreDocs

In its own words, on Official MCP Registry:

Local-first knowledge vaults for project docs and specs. Tagged, versioned, full-text searchable.

How to run each

io.github.cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server As a remote MCP server

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http smithsonian-mcp-server https://smithsonian.caseyjhand.com/mcp

Requires: SMITHSONIAN_API_KEY

LoreDocs As a local MCP server: PyPI package

Claude Code

claude mcp add --env "LOREDOCS_PRO=<YOUR_LOREDOCS_PRO>" --transport stdio loredocs -- uvx loredocs

Requires: LOREDOCS_PRO (secret)

Commands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.

Only io.github.cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server has a remote endpoint we check. How we check endpoints

Tools each declares

Neither the marketplaces of LoreDocs nor its endpoint list any tools, so we do not compare tools.

Settings each asks for

Only io.github.cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server asks for

MCP_AUTH_MODE
MCP_HTTP_ENDPOINT_PATH
MCP_HTTP_HOST
MCP_HTTP_PORT
MCP_LOG_LEVEL
MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE
SMITHSONIAN_API_KEY

Only LoreDocs asks for

LOREDOCS_PRO (secret)

Settings as each marketplace publishes them. Asking for fewer is not better in itself.

What it can do: io.github.cyanheads/smithsonian-mcp-server · What it can do: LoreDocs · Compare two other plugins

Data comes from the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. Data comes from the public marketplace file https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-community/blob/HEAD/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on 2026-10-25. We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.