·ecosystem·Fasad Salatov
Best MCP Server Directories in 2026: Unyly vs Smithery vs mcp.so vs Glama vs PulseMCP
A side-by-side of the five main MCP directories — catalog size, one-click install, gateway, and hosting — so you can pick the right one.
If you are choosing where to find and install MCP servers, the five directories worth knowing are Unyly, Smithery, mcp.so, Glama, and PulseMCP. They differ less in catalog and more in what happens after you find a server.
Side by side
| Directory | Catalog (reported) | 1-click install | Gateway | Hosted runners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unyly | 51,000+ | Yes — writes the config | Yes | Yes |
| Smithery | ~5,000 | Partial | No | Yes |
| mcp.so | ~19,000 | No | No | No |
| Glama | ~22,000 | No | No | No |
| PulseMCP | ~5,000 | No | No | No |
Figures are as-reported and move over time.
What actually matters
Catalog size gets you discovery, but every directory indexes broadly the same open registries. The real differences:
- One-click install. Most directories show you a config to copy-paste. Unyly writes it for you into Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code, or Claude Desktop — no JSON editing.
- Gateway. A gateway lets you connect one endpoint and reach the whole catalog on demand, instead of installing servers one by one. Only Unyly offers this today.
- Hosting. Remote/hosted runners matter for servers that need OAuth or persistent state.
How to pick
- Just browsing? Any of them work — they overlap heavily on content.
- Installing regularly? Pick the one that removes the JSON step.
- Building an agent that needs many capabilities? A gateway beats N installs.
See the full catalog and try a one-click install on Unyly.