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MCP TypeScript SDK review

MCP TypeScript SDK is the official TypeScript library for building Model Context Protocol servers and clients on Node.js, Bun, and Deno.

Updated Nov 1, 2026. Review written Oct 22, 2026 from the project's own sources; usage data refreshed every Monday.

TL;DR

MCP TypeScript SDK implements the Model Context Protocol specification in TypeScript, with separate server and client packages. It is for developers who build MCP servers or clients that give LLM applications context. v2 targets the 2026-07-28 MCP spec, runs on Node.js, Bun, and Deno, and offers optional adapters for Express, Fastify, Hono, and Node.js HTTP.

MCP TypeScript SDK at a glance

Category
MCP and agent tools
Maintained by
Model Context Protocol (organization, @modelcontextprotocol on GitHub)
Language
TypeScript, JavaScript, Shell
Repository
github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk
Website
ts.sdk.modelcontextprotocol.io/v2
npm package
@modelcontextprotocol/sdk 1.32.1
Latest release
@modelcontextprotocol/[email protected] on GitHub, Oct 5, 2026
First published
Sep 24, 2024

What MCP TypeScript SDK does

  • MCP TypeScript SDK provides server libraries for exposing tools, resources, and prompts over Streamable HTTP or stdio, with auth helpers.
  • MCP TypeScript SDK provides client libraries with transports, high-level helpers, and OAuth helpers for connecting to MCP servers.
  • MCP TypeScript SDK accepts tool and prompt schemas from any Standard Schema library, such as Zod v4, Valibot, or ArkType.
  • MCP TypeScript SDK publishes thin middleware adapters for Express, Fastify, Hono, and Node.js HTTP, including Host header validation.
  • MCP TypeScript SDK's server can accept only bearer tokens issued for that server through the optional expectedResource setting.
  • MCP TypeScript SDK includes runnable, self-verifying client and server example pairs in its examples directory.

How it works

You install the server or client package and import it into a TypeScript project on Node.js, Bun, or Deno. A server creates an McpServer, registers tools with schemas, and connects a transport such as stdio or Streamable HTTP. Clients connect to servers, list their tools, and call them. Optional middleware packages connect the server to Express, Fastify, Hono, or Node.js HTTP.

How to install and start using MCP TypeScript SDK

Server with npm

npm install @modelcontextprotocol/server

Client with npm

npm install @modelcontextprotocol/client

Server with Deno

deno add npm:@modelcontextprotocol/server

Requirements

  • A Node.js, Bun, or Deno runtime.
  • The v1 package @modelcontextprotocol/sdk requires Node.js 18 or later.

First steps

  1. Install @modelcontextprotocol/server, then create an McpServer with a name and version.
  2. Register a tool with registerTool, giving it a description and an input schema such as a Zod v4 object.
  3. Connect the server to a StdioServerTransport so a host can call your tool over stdio.
  4. Follow the "Build your first client" tutorial to connect to the server, list its tools, and call them.

Who MCP TypeScript SDK is for

  • TypeScript developers building MCP servers that expose tools, resources, or prompts to LLM applications.
  • Developers building MCP clients that connect to servers and call their tools.
  • Teams adding MCP endpoints to existing Express, Fastify, Hono, or Node.js HTTP services.

Limitations to know

  • MCP TypeScript SDK v2 uses new package names, so v1 users must follow the migration guide to upgrade.
  • MCP TypeScript SDK v1.x receives only bug fixes and security updates, for at least six months after the 2026-07-27 v2 release.
  • MCP TypeScript SDK middleware packages are thin adapters and add no MCP functionality or business logic.

Is MCP TypeScript SDK growing? Usage data

In the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, MCP TypeScript SDK ranked #160 on the Devtoolwatch Board and #23 in MCP and agent tools, with a momentum score of 50 out of 100. Its main package had about 88.5M downloads that week, +13% against its own 4-week average.

New GitHub stars per week for MCP TypeScript SDK12 weeks from Aug 9, 2026: 75, 57, 56, 55, 50, 49, 39, 45, 52, 58, 58, 44 new stars, an average of 53 a week.Aug 9week of Oct 25
New GitHub stars per week for the last 12 weeks, from GitHub's stargazer history (today's stargazers by the week they starred).
Show the weekly numbers
New GitHub stars per week for MCP TypeScript SDK
Week ofNew stars
Aug 9, 202675
Aug 16, 202657
Aug 23, 202656
Aug 30, 202655
Sep 6, 202650
Sep 13, 202649
Sep 20, 202639
Sep 27, 202645
Oct 4, 202652
Oct 11, 202658
Oct 18, 202658
Oct 25, 202644

The Board ranks tools by four signals each week: new stars, new stars for the repo's size, added downloads and download growth beyond the market. How the ranking works.

MCP TypeScript SDK alternatives

Other MCP servers and agent tools on the Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum:

MCP and agent tools ranked by momentum, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026
RankToolStarsDownloads/wk
#1REAREA is an MCP server and CLI that lets coding agents reverse engineer native binaries, JavaScript and Electron apps, .NET assemblies,…415.5k760.6k
#2ha-mcpha-mcp is an unofficial Model Context Protocol server that lets AI assistants control and manage Home Assistant using natural language.5.4k118.1k
#3TregTreg is a registry and proxy that gives AI agents one token for a catalog of paid third-party API endpoints and team-shared tools.6.9k6.7k
#4Chrome DevTools MCPChrome DevTools MCP is an MCP server and CLI that lets coding agents control and inspect a live Chrome browser using Chrome DevTools.54.6k2.7M
#5codebase-memory-mcpHigh-performance code intelligence MCP server. Indexes codebases into a persistent knowledge graph — average repo in milliseconds. 162…47.9k–
#6open-computer-use👾 Open Computer Use – Open-Source Alternative to Codex Computer Use2.8k–

All MCP servers and agent tools, ranked

Recent MCP TypeScript SDK releases

MCP TypeScript SDK FAQ

Is MCP TypeScript SDK free and open source?

MCP TypeScript SDK's code is on GitHub (modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk), but the repository doesn't declare a standard open-source license. Check its license file before using it commercially.

How do I install MCP TypeScript SDK?

Run npm install @modelcontextprotocol/server. It needs Node.js >=18. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

Is MCP TypeScript SDK still maintained?

Yes. The modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk repository was last updated on Oct 21, 2026, and the latest release, @modelcontextprotocol/[email protected] on GitHub, came out on Oct 5, 2026.

How popular is MCP TypeScript SDK?

MCP TypeScript SDK has 13.7k GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 44 new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 53 a week. Its main package had about 88.5M downloads that week, +13% against its own 4-week average. That made it #23 among MCP servers and agent tools on the Devtoolwatch Board.

What are the best alternatives to MCP TypeScript SDK?

Other MCP servers and agent tools on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: REA (#1), ha-mcp (#2), Treg (#3), Chrome DevTools MCP (#4), codebase-memory-mcp (#5). The alternatives table above has their numbers.

Which MCP spec version does the MCP TypeScript SDK implement?

MCP TypeScript SDK v2, the stable release line on the main branch, implements the 2026-07-28 MCP specification.

What is the difference between v1 and v2 of the MCP TypeScript SDK?

MCP TypeScript SDK v2 splits the SDK into @modelcontextprotocol/server and @modelcontextprotocol/client. v1 ships as @modelcontextprotocol/sdk on the v1.x branch and receives bug fixes and security updates. A migration guide covers upgrading.

Which runtimes does the MCP TypeScript SDK support?

MCP TypeScript SDK runs on Node.js, Bun, and Deno. The README gives install commands for npm, bun, and deno.

Do I have to use Zod with the MCP TypeScript SDK?

No. MCP TypeScript SDK uses Standard Schema for tool and prompt schemas, so you can use Zod v4, Valibot, ArkType, or any compatible library.

Which transports does the MCP TypeScript SDK support?

MCP TypeScript SDK servers support Streamable HTTP and stdio. Optional middleware wires Streamable HTTP into Node.js HTTP, Express, Fastify, or Hono.

Sources

  1. modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk on GitHub
  2. MCP TypeScript SDK README
  3. @modelcontextprotocol/sdk on npm
  4. MCP TypeScript SDK website
  5. Release @modelcontextprotocol/[email protected] (Oct 5, 2026)
  6. Release @modelcontextprotocol/[email protected] (Oct 5, 2026)
  7. Release @modelcontextprotocol/[email protected] (Oct 5, 2026)
  8. Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026

MCP TypeScript SDK README badge

Maintainers can show the tool's weekly Board rank in their README:

Devtoolwatch badge for MCP TypeScript SDK

[![Devtoolwatch](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/badge/mcp-ts-sdk.svg)](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/mcp-ts-sdk/)

How this page is made: Devtoolwatch writes each review from the project's README, releases, package metadata and website, with an AI model, then checks every claim against the source it cites and drops what the sources don't support. The numbers come from Devtoolwatch's daily GitHub snapshots, GitHub's stargazer history, and the npm and PyPI download APIs. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].