Alternatives to Official MCP Registry

Official MCP Registry has 4 alternatives on this directory's rubric: Smithery, Glama, GitHub MCP Registry, Claude Connectors Directory. Each entry below states one difference between it and Official MCP Registry, with the evidence and a source link. Official MCP Registry is operated by MCP Registry Working Group.

The 4 alternatives

Smithery

A public catalog and former hosting platform for MCP servers, acquired by Arcade in August 2026; its MCP Proxy and managed identity features shut down on 31 Oct 2026.

Difference on oauth with client registration: Smithery reads "managed identity retired" (source, 4 November 2026); Official MCP Registry reads "not applicable" (source, 4 November 2026). Managed identity shut down 31 Oct 2026.

Smithery profile, Smithery vs Official MCP Registry

Glama

An MCP directory listing open-source servers and remote connectors with letter grades for license, quality and maintenance, plus hosting and gateway products.

Difference on oauth with client registration: Glama reads "filter only" (source, 4 November 2026); Official MCP Registry reads "not applicable" (source, 4 November 2026). Connectors can be filtered by OAuth 2.0; Glama does not document DCR itself.

Glama profile, Glama vs Official MCP Registry

GitHub MCP Registry

GitHub's curated MCP catalog with an install button per server, readable through an open API at api.mcp.github.com.

Difference on remote transport: GitHub MCP Registry reads "records remotes" (source, 4 November 2026); Official MCP Registry reads "records both" (source, 4 November 2026). transport_type per remote.

GitHub MCP Registry profile, Official MCP Registry vs GitHub MCP Registry

Claude Connectors Directory

Anthropic's reviewed directory of remote MCP connectors for Claude, submitted through a developer portal with required tool annotations and OAuth for user data.

Difference on oauth with client registration: Claude Connectors Directory reads "OAuth 2.0 required for user data" (source, 4 November 2026); Official MCP Registry reads "not applicable" (source, 4 November 2026). Anthropic can hold your OAuth client.

Claude Connectors Directory profile, Official MCP Registry vs Claude Connectors Directory