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Stack Gems

by stackgems.com · remote · no sign-in to list tools · v1.0.0 · published by com.stackgems

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

Changes · 1
CompareRegistry entry

5 tools: 1 change things and 4 only read.

Scanned Oct 21, 2026

No check matched anything in the tool definitions. No finding is not a safety guarantee. How the checks work.

claude mcp add --transport http catalog https://stackgems.com/api/mcp

Tools

Open a tool for its reasons and full description. Descriptions are the publisher's own words, shown as they are.

5 tools

Changes things 1Claude Code: ask
  • best_forRanked shortlist for a use case or category (e.g.No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • Nothing in its name or description says what it does, so it is counted as a write.
    • The server marks it read-only (readOnlyHint: true), but an annotation never lowers a class.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    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.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
    • openWorldHint: false
    • idempotentHint: true
    • title: Shortlist for a use case
Only reads 4Claude Code: allow
  • get_alternativesFree and open-source alternatives to a tool from the same category, with verdict and Catch.No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • The name "get_alternatives" says "get": a word for reading.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    Free and open-source alternatives to a tool from the same category, with verdict and Catch. Works for any slug in the catalog.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
    • openWorldHint: false
    • idempotentHint: true
    • title: Free alternatives to a tool
  • get_gemFull 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.No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • The name "get_gem" says "get": a word for reading.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    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.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
    • openWorldHint: false
    • idempotentHint: true
    • title: Get one review
  • list_categoriesThe catalog vocabulary: stacks (categories), best-of lists with counts, and the tag vocabulary with counts.No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • The name "list_categories" says "list": a word for reading.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    The catalog vocabulary: stacks (categories), best-of lists with counts, and the tag vocabulary with counts. Use the slugs as filters in search_gems.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
    • openWorldHint: false
    • idempotentHint: true
    • title: List categories and tags
  • search_gemsSearch the Stack Gems catalog of reviewed developer tools.No findings

    Why it is in this group

    • The name "search_gems" says "search": a word for reading.
    Description, as the server wrote it
    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.

    Annotations the server declares

    • readOnlyHint: true
    • openWorldHint: false
    • idempotentHint: true
    • title: Search developer tools

This is not a safety rating, and no finding is not a safety guarantee. The groups and findings come from fixed checks of the tool definitions the server returned on the date shown, not from its code or what it does when called. How the checks work.

Install

Pinned to version 1.0.0. Values in angle brackets are yours to fill in.

claude mcp add --transport http catalog https://stackgems.com/api/mcp

Run in a terminal.

Claude Code permissions

Allow the reads, ask before a change, deny the deletes. Paste into .claude/settings.json.

.claude/settings.json
{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": [
      "mcp__catalog__search_gems",
      "mcp__catalog__get_gem",
      "mcp__catalog__get_alternatives",
      "mcp__catalog__list_categories"
    ],
    "ask": [
      "mcp__catalog__best_for"
    ],
    "deny": []
  }
}

Tools that only read are allowed, tools that change things ask first, tools that delete or cancel are denied. It assumes the server is installed as catalog. Review it before you use it.