Comparisons
The independent Smithery alternative
Smithery.ai was the leading independent MCP registry and CLI platform. On August 5, 2026, it was acquired by Arcade.dev and began pivoting to enterprise credential management. MCPVault is the independent alternative: a community-first directory that grades servers, runs live verification and has no enterprise agenda.
Feature comparison
MCPVault spawns servers in a sandbox and runs a real MCP handshake
Claimed MCPVault servers get a static NVIDIA SkillSpector scan every week: what the code reaches, external hosts and dependencies with advisories, with file and line, no grade
Recency, adoption, license and docs signals computed nightly
Post-acquisition cadence unclear
MCPVault lets any maintainer claim and edit their listing
Verified MCPVault listings earn a do-follow link to the project site
Each tool within a server gets its own indexed page on MCPVault
Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, Zed and more
Smithery was acquired by Arcade.dev on August 5, 2026
What no other directory does
Verification that is re-tested every week
Every other directory grants a badge once and never checks again. MCPVault re-runs the live stdio handshake weekly and records whether the embed is present. A failed handshake lapses every server. A missing badge only lapses listings where it is required; the first 100 verified servers keep their permanent exemption. On a lapse, the do-follow link pauses, the status badge updates in real time and the owner gets an email. This is the difference between a trust signal and a sticker.
When Smithery (Arcade.dev) is the right choice
You need enterprise credential management and SSO-backed server authentication.
Your team is already inside the Arcade.dev ecosystem and wants integrated tooling.
You need cloud-hosted MCP server execution rather than a public discovery directory.
Common questions
Why is Smithery no longer the best option for community MCP discovery?
Smithery.ai was acquired by Arcade.dev on August 5, 2026 and is pivoting to enterprise use cases. The independent community registry it represented is no longer its focus. MCPVault fills that gap as a fully independent, community-first directory.
Does MCPVault actually run the servers it lists?
Yes. Verified servers are spawned in a sandbox environment and must complete a real MCP stdio handshake, including initialize and tools/list calls, before the badge is granted. The check runs weekly and verification lapses automatically if the technical test fails. Missing embeds only affect listings for which the badge is required; the first 100 verified servers are permanently exempt.
Is claiming a listing on MCPVault free?
Claiming, editing and requesting verification are free. The first 100 verified server listings do not need an embed and keep that exemption permanently. After 100, new free verifications require the MCPVault badge in the project README or site, with Pro available as the no-embed option. Featured placement and sponsorship remain separate paid options.
What happens if I remove the MCPVault badge from my README after verification?
The weekly re-check records badge presence. If your listing is one of the first 100 verified servers, nothing happens because its no-embed exemption is permanent. For later free verifications, a missing badge lapses the status until the badge returns and the next re-check passes. The live technical handshake still applies to everyone.
Try the independent alternative
19,000+ servers indexed, nightly refreshes, live verification and a free claim mechanic. No enterprise ownership.