--- title: "mcp vs gateway" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/awslabs-mcp-vs-missingstudio-gateway" tools: ["awslabs-mcp", "missingstudio-gateway"] --- # mcp vs gateway *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick mcp if mCP provides open-source implementations of servers and clients for Model Context Protocol tailored for AWS, supporting Python; pick gateway if aI Gateway is a core infrastructure stack for deploying production-ready AI applications, supporting multiple operating systems and offering Docker images for easy deployment. [mcp](https://awslabs.github.io/mcp/) reports 9.7k GitHub stars, 1.8k forks, and 246 open issues, last pushed Sep 19, 2026. [gateway](https://www.missing.studio) has 161 stars, 16 forks, and 10 open issues, last pushed Apr 8, 2024. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [mcp's repository](https://github.com/awslabs/mcp) and [gateway's repository](https://github.com/pyadav/gateway). | | [mcp](/tools/awslabs-mcp.md) | [gateway](/tools/missingstudio-gateway.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Open source MCP Servers for AWS | Core infrastructure stack for building production-ready AI Applications | | Stars | 9,711 | 161 | | Forks | 1,767 | 16 | | Open issues | 246 | 10 | | Language | Python | Go | | Adopt for | MCP provides open-source implementations of servers and clients for Model Context Protocol tailored for AWS, supporting Python. | AI Gateway is a core infrastructure stack for deploying production-ready AI applications, supporting multiple operating systems and offering Docker images for easy deployment. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Distributed under the Apache-2.0 license, allowing free use, modification and distribution but with no warranty. | AI Gateway is licensed under Apache-2.0, allowing for broad usage and modification. | | Categories | Inference & Serving | Inference & Serving | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [mcp](/tools/awslabs-mcp.md) | [gateway](/tools/missingstudio-gateway.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Very active (96%) | Dormant (18%) | | Days since push | 0d | 893d | | Open issues (now) | 246 | 10 | | Stars delta | +208 (30d) | +1 (30d) | | Open issues delta | -80 (30d) | 0 (30d) | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/awslabs-mcp/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/missingstudio-gateway/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: mcp - **Adopt for:** MCP provides open-source implementations of servers and clients for Model Context Protocol tailored for AWS, supporting Python. - **License detail:** Distributed under the Apache-2.0 license, allowing free use, modification and distribution but with no warranty. ## Decision facts: gateway - **Pricing:** freemium - The tool is free to use under the Apache-2.0 license, with no explicit premium features mentioned. - **Requirements:** Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Docker is required for deployment, and the tool supports a wide range of operating systems. - **Adopt for:** AI Gateway is a core infrastructure stack for deploying production-ready AI applications, supporting multiple operating systems and offering Docker images for easy deployment. - **License detail:** AI Gateway is licensed under Apache-2.0, allowing for broad usage and modification. ## Choose when ### Choose mcp if… - mcp is primarily Python; gateway is Go. - Tags unique to mcp: aws, mcp, modelcontextprotocol. - When you need an open-source solution specifically designed to work with the AWS environment for deploying and managing model context protocols. ### Choose gateway if… - gateway is primarily Go; mcp is Python. - Pricing: The tool is free to use under the Apache-2.0 license, with no explicit premium features mentioned.. - Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Docker is required for deployment, and the tool supports a wide range of operating systems.. - Tags unique to gateway: ai, aistudio, api, gateway. - gateway ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - Use AI Gateway when you need to deploy production-ready AI applications across various operating systems, as it supports macOS, Windows, Linux, OpenBSD, and FreeBSD. ## When NOT to use mcp - Avoid MCP if your application does not run within an AWS ecosystem, as its integration with AWS-specific components may offer limited utility outside this environment. - Do not use mcp if your primary development language is not Python, given that the service implementations are exclusively in Python and may require substantial adaptation for other languages. ## When NOT to use gateway - Avoid AI Gateway if you require a tool that is actively maintained, as the repository indicates the tool is deprecated. - Do not use AI Gateway if you need a solution that supports real-time updates or the latest features, since the deprecation status suggests limited ongoing development and support. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between mcp and gateway? mcp: Open source MCP Servers for AWS. gateway: Core infrastructure stack for building production-ready AI Applications. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose mcp over gateway? Choose mcp over gateway when mcp is primarily Python; gateway is Go; Tags unique to mcp: aws, mcp, modelcontextprotocol; When you need an open-source solution specifically designed to work with the AWS environment for deploying and managing model context protocols. ### When should I choose gateway over mcp? Choose gateway over mcp when gateway is primarily Go; mcp is Python; Pricing: The tool is free to use under the Apache-2.0 license, with no explicit premium features mentioned.; Requirements: Min 2 GB RAM; Requires Docker; Docker is required for deployment, and the tool supports a wide range of operating systems.; Tags unique to gateway: ai, aistudio, api, gateway; gateway ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; Use AI Gateway when you need to deploy production-ready AI applications across various operating systems, as it supports macOS, Windows, Linux, OpenBSD, and FreeBSD. ### When should I avoid mcp? Avoid MCP if your application does not run within an AWS ecosystem, as its integration with AWS-specific components may offer limited utility outside this environment. Do not use mcp if your primary development language is not Python, given that the service implementations are exclusively in Python and may require substantial adaptation for other languages. ### When should I avoid gateway? Avoid AI Gateway if you require a tool that is actively maintained, as the repository indicates the tool is deprecated. Do not use AI Gateway if you need a solution that supports real-time updates or the latest features, since the deprecation status suggests limited ongoing development and support. ### Is mcp or gateway more popular on GitHub? mcp has more GitHub stars (9,711 vs 161). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are mcp and gateway open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (mcp: Apache-2.0, gateway: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to mcp or gateway? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [mcp alternatives](/tools/awslabs-mcp/alternatives) and [gateway alternatives](/tools/missingstudio-gateway/alternatives) ([mcp markdown twin](/tools/awslabs-mcp/alternatives.md), [gateway markdown twin](/tools/missingstudio-gateway/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/awslabs-mcp-vs-missingstudio-gateway.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, mcp or gateway? mcp: Very active. gateway: Dormant. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for mcp and gateway? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [mcp trust report](/tools/awslabs-mcp/trust); [gateway trust report](/tools/missingstudio-gateway/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=awslabs-mcp`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=awslabs-mcp) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_