Comparison
firecrawl-mcp-server vs web-search-mcp
Verdict
Pick firecrawl-mcp-server if firecrawl MCP Server is designed to integrate powerful web scraping and content extraction functionalities for LLM clients such as Cursor and Claude under the MIT License; pick web-search-mcp if web-search-mcp is a locally hosted Web Search MCP server implemented in TypeScript and licensed under MIT for use with local language models.
Markdown twin · firecrawl-mcp-server alternatives · web-search-mcp alternatives
GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026
vs
Trust & integrity
| Signal | firecrawl-mcp-server | web-search-mcp |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | Very active (0d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Dormant (407d since push) As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| Provenance | Not a fork · Organization account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 | Not a fork · Personal account As of Sep 20, 2026 · github_public_v1 |
| OSV dependency advisories | Published findings As of Aug 2, 2026 · osv@v1 | No lockfile (source not queried) As of Jul 15, 2026 · osv@v1 |
| deps.dev advisories | Not queried deps.dev@v1 | Not queried deps.dev@v1 |
| OpenSSF Scorecard | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 | Not queried openssf-scorecard@v1 |
Tagline
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- Adding web scraping and search capabilities to LLM clients like Cursor and Claude
- web-search-mcp
- A locally hosted Web Search MCP server compatible with Local LLMs
Stars
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- 7.5k
- web-search-mcp
- 1.1k
Forks
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- 891
- web-search-mcp
- 163
Open issues
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- 140
- web-search-mcp
- 38
Language
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- TypeScript
- web-search-mcp
- TypeScript
Adopt for
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- Firecrawl MCP Server is designed to integrate powerful web scraping and content extraction functionalities for LLM clients such as Cursor and Claude under the MIT License.
- web-search-mcp
- web-search-mcp is a locally hosted Web Search MCP server implemented in TypeScript and licensed under MIT for use with local language models.
Persona
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- -
- web-search-mcp
- -
Runtime
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- -
- web-search-mcp
- -
License
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- MIT
- web-search-mcp
- MIT
Last pushed
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- Sep 20, 2026
- web-search-mcp
- Aug 8, 2025
Categories
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- Data & Retrieval, LLM Frameworks
- web-search-mcp
- Data & Retrieval
Trust and health
Maintenance
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- Very active (96%)
- web-search-mcp
- Dormant (18%)
Days since push
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- 0d
- web-search-mcp
- 407d
Open issues (now)
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- 140
- web-search-mcp
- 38
Stars delta
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- +442 (30d)
- web-search-mcp
- +67 (30d)
Open issues delta
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- -18 (30d)
- web-search-mcp
- +2 (30d)
Owner type
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- Organization
- web-search-mcp
- User
OSV dependency advisories
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- Published findings
- web-search-mcp
- No lockfile (source not queried)
Full report
- firecrawl-mcp-server
- Trust report
- web-search-mcp
- Trust report
Shared compatibility
- Node.js · firecrawl-mcp-server: Node.js runtime · web-search-mcp: Node.js runtime
Choose firecrawl-mcp-server if…
- Tags unique to firecrawl-mcp-server: batch-processing, content-extraction, data-collection, javascript-rendering.
- Also covers LLM Frameworks.
- firecrawl-mcp-server ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment.
- When you need JavaScript-based rendering capabilities for more accurate content extraction from the web
When NOT to use firecrawl-mcp-server
- If your project requires a server-side solution in languages other than JavaScript, as Firecrawl MCP Server is written in JavaScript only
- When you are not looking to integrate or extend functionalities for Cursor and Claude LLM clients
Choose web-search-mcp if…
- Requirements: Requires a local language model to operate effectively..
- Tags unique to web-search-mcp: llm, lmstudio, local-llm, mcp.
- web-search-mcp ships an MCP server manifest.
- Use web-search-mcp when you need a lightweight, locally-hosted solution that integrates seamlessly with existing local language models without requiring cloud services.
When NOT to use web-search-mcp
- Avoid using web-search-mcp when your application demands the robustness and scalability that come with third-party hosted or cloud-based web search services.
- Do not use if real-time updates or dynamic content from external sources are essential, as the tool focuses on local resources.
Explore
Sources
Every stat on this page traces to a dated GitHub sync, license file, enrichment field, or trust scan.
- GitHub stars (firecrawl/firecrawl-mcp-server) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (firecrawl/firecrawl-mcp-server) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (firecrawl/firecrawl-mcp-server) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- License file (MIT) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 16, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Aug 2, 2026
- GitHub stars (mrkrsl/web-search-mcp) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- GitHub forks (mrkrsl/web-search-mcp) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Last push (mrkrsl/web-search-mcp) · observed Aug 8, 2025
- License file (MIT) · observed Sep 20, 2026
- Decision facts (enrichment) · observed Jul 17, 2026
- Trust scan (lockfile / OSV) · observed Jul 15, 2026
GitHub stars on cards: firecrawl-mcp-server 7.5k · web-search-mcp 1.1k (synced Sep 20, 2026).
Common questions
- What is the difference between firecrawl-mcp-server and web-search-mcp?
- firecrawl-mcp-server: Adding web scraping and search capabilities to LLM clients like Cursor and Claude. web-search-mcp: A locally hosted Web Search MCP server compatible with Local LLMs. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories.
- When should I choose firecrawl-mcp-server over web-search-mcp?
- Choose firecrawl-mcp-server over web-search-mcp when Tags unique to firecrawl-mcp-server: batch-processing, content-extraction, data-collection, javascript-rendering; Also covers LLM Frameworks; firecrawl-mcp-server ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need JavaScript-based rendering capabilities for more accurate content extraction from the web.
- When should I choose web-search-mcp over firecrawl-mcp-server?
- Choose web-search-mcp over firecrawl-mcp-server when Requirements: Requires a local language model to operate effectively.; Tags unique to web-search-mcp: llm, lmstudio, local-llm, mcp; web-search-mcp ships an MCP server manifest; Use web-search-mcp when you need a lightweight, locally-hosted solution that integrates seamlessly with existing local language models without requiring cloud services.
- When should I avoid firecrawl-mcp-server?
- If your project requires a server-side solution in languages other than JavaScript, as Firecrawl MCP Server is written in JavaScript only When you are not looking to integrate or extend functionalities for Cursor and Claude LLM clients
- When should I avoid web-search-mcp?
- Avoid using web-search-mcp when your application demands the robustness and scalability that come with third-party hosted or cloud-based web search services. Do not use if real-time updates or dynamic content from external sources are essential, as the tool focuses on local resources.
- Is firecrawl-mcp-server or web-search-mcp more popular on GitHub?
- firecrawl-mcp-server has more GitHub stars (7,489 vs 1,146). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints.
- Are firecrawl-mcp-server and web-search-mcp open source?
- Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (firecrawl-mcp-server: MIT, web-search-mcp: MIT).
- Where can I find alternatives to firecrawl-mcp-server or web-search-mcp?
- GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at firecrawl-mcp-server alternatives and web-search-mcp alternatives (firecrawl-mcp-server markdown twin, web-search-mcp markdown twin), 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 mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers.
- Which is better maintained, firecrawl-mcp-server or web-search-mcp?
- firecrawl-mcp-server: Very active. web-search-mcp: 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 firecrawl-mcp-server and web-search-mcp?
- GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: firecrawl-mcp-server trust report; web-search-mcp trust report.