# Stack Gems (remote · stackgems.com)

Read-only search of 900+ reviewed developer tools, each with a verdict and caveats. Free/OSS first.

- Trust score: 76/100 (medium)
- Change this week: +3
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-11-04

## Components

- remote · `stackgems.com`: 76/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-stackgems-catalog/api-mcp.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-stackgems-catalog/api-mcp)

## Channel facts

- Endpoint: `https://stackgems.com/api/mcp`
- Transports: `streamable-http`
- Auth: `none`
- Version: `1.0.0`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-11-04.

- **Endpoint Security**: 11/100
  - TLS not yet verified: we couldn't open a connection to check the certificate.
  - Authorisation not yet verified: we couldn't confirm whether this endpoint requires it.
  - HTTPS is enforced; there's no plaintext access path.
  - HSTS not yet verified: we couldn't read the response headers to check for it.
  - DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC.
- **Transport & Reachability**: 0/100
  - Transport check failed: declared streamable-http, but we couldn't connect to verify it.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 0/100
  - Schema not yet verified: we couldn't read the endpoint's schema, or could read only part of its tool list.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 0/100
  - Stability not yet verified: not enough scan history yet (needs a 30-day window).
- **Tool Coverage**: 0/100
  - Tool coverage not yet verified: we couldn't read the endpoint's tools, or could read only part of the list.
- **Tool Safety**: 0/100
  - Tool safety not yet verified: we couldn't read the endpoint's tools, or could read only part of the list.
- **Capabilities**: 0/100
  - Capabilities not yet verified: we couldn't read the endpoint's capabilities.

**Unverified: 5 categories.** Categories scored 0 because we could not verify them: authentication we do not have, an unreachable endpoint, or not enough scan history. We only credit what we can confirm.

## Install

### How do I install the Stack Gems MCP server?

Stack Gems is a hosted endpoint at https://stackgems.com/api/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http com-stackgems-catalog 'https://stackgems.com/api/mcp'
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "com-stackgems-catalog": {
      "url": "https://stackgems.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "com-stackgems-catalog": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://stackgems.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```toml
[mcp_servers.com-stackgems-catalog]
url = "https://stackgems.com/api/mcp"
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "com-stackgems-catalog": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://stackgems.com/api/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add com-stackgems-catalog --url 'https://stackgems.com/api/mcp' --transport streamable-http
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  com-stackgems-catalog:
    url: "https://stackgems.com/api/mcp"
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "com-stackgems-catalog": {
      "Transport": "http",
      "Url": "https://stackgems.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add com-stackgems-catalog -t streamable-http -u 'https://stackgems.com/api/mcp'
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "com-stackgems-catalog": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://stackgems.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-11-04 (score 76, 0)

- [security regression] Endpoint reachability: reachable → unreachable
- [security regression] HSTS header: fail → unverified
- [security regression] Authorization: partial → unverified
- [security regression] Tool safety: pass → unverified
- [security regression] TLS certificate: pass → unverified
- [security regression] Stability: 0.50 → unverified
- [security regression] Transport: pass → fail
- [functional regression] Capabilities: pass → unverified
- [functional regression] Tool coverage: 100 → unverified
- [functional] First check of Schema quality: unverified

### 2026-11-02 (score 76, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 43 to 47. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 13 days of observed history at the previous scan, 14 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-31 (score 75, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 37 to 40. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 11 days of observed history at the previous scan, 12 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-29 (score 74, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 30 to 33. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 9 days of observed history at the previous scan, 10 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-27 (score 73, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 23 to 27. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 7 days of observed history at the previous scan, 8 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-24 (score 72, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 13 to 17. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 4 days of observed history at the previous scan, 5 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-22 (score 71, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 7 to 10. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 2 days of observed history at the previous scan, 3 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-20 (score 70, +1)

- [functional improvement] Stability: unverified → 0.03

## MCP tools (5)

### `search_gems` (~156 tokens)

Search developer tools

Search the Stack Gems catalog of reviewed developer tools. Matches name, tagline, verdict, Catch, subcategory and tags. Filters combine with AND. Returns verdict and the first sentence of the Catch for each hit.

Input parameters:

- `category` (string)
- `limit` (integer)
- `pricing` (string)
- `query` (string): Free text, e.g. "postgres backup" or "browser automation"
- `sort` (string): curated = free/OSS first
- `subcategory` (string): Subcategory slug or label, e.g. "coding-agents"
- `tag` (string): Comma list of tags, all must match (see list_categories), e.g. "mcp,self-host"

### `get_gem` (~65 tokens)

Get one review

Full Stack Gems review of one tool by slug: what is good, the Catch, verdict, license, repo health, plus links to its best-of list and alternatives.

Input parameters:

- `slug` (string, required): Tool slug, e.g. "ollama" (from search_gems)

### `best_for` (~90 tokens)

Shortlist for a use case

Ranked shortlist for a use case or category (e.g. "vector database", "coding agents", "auth", "mcp"), free and open source first, each with verdict and Catch. Falls back to search when no list matches.

Input parameters:

- `limit` (integer)
- `use_case` (string, required): What the tool is for, e.g. "self-hosted auth" or "kubernetes"

### `get_alternatives` (~58 tokens)

Free alternatives to a tool

Free and open-source alternatives to a tool from the same category, with verdict and Catch. Works for any slug in the catalog.

Input parameters:

- `limit` (integer)
- `slug` (string, required): Tool slug, e.g. "cursor"

### `list_categories` (~40 tokens)

List categories and tags

The catalog vocabulary: stacks (categories), best-of lists with counts, and the tag vocabulary with counts. Use the slugs as filters in search_gems.

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: TLS, DNSSEC, Authorisation, Transports. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-stackgems-catalog/api-mcp#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-11-04: 76
- 2026-11-03: 76
- 2026-11-02: 76
- 2026-11-01: 75
- 2026-10-31: 75
- 2026-10-30: 74
- 2026-10-29: 74
- 2026-10-28: 73
- 2026-10-27: 73
- 2026-10-26: 72
- 2026-10-25: 72
- 2026-10-24: 72
- 2026-10-23: 71
- 2026-10-22: 71
- 2026-10-21: 70
- 2026-10-20: 70
- 2026-10-19: 69

## Common questions

### What is the Stack Gems MCP server?

Stack Gems is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as com.stackgems/catalog. Read-only search of 900+ reviewed developer tools, each with a verdict and caveats. Free/OSS first. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://stackgems.com/api/mcp).

### Is the Stack Gems MCP server safe to use?

Stack Gems scores 76 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the Stack Gems MCP server expose?

Stack Gems exposes 5 tools: search_gems, get_gem, best_for, get_alternatives, list_categories. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 409 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Does the Stack Gems MCP server require authentication?

Its publisher declares no required credentials for Stack Gems. We have not been able to confirm that against the live endpoint, and a server can require authorisation without declaring it here.

### Is the Stack Gems MCP server still maintained?

Stack Gems is still listed in the MCP registry, though our most recent checks did not reach this channel. We last reached this channel on 3 November 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

## Links

- Remote endpoint: https://stackgems.com/api/mcp
- Website: https://stackgems.com/for-agents
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-stackgems-catalog/api-mcp.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-stackgems-catalog/api-mcp.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/com-stackgems-catalog/api-mcp