Public vs Private MCP Servers

The differences between public and private MCP servers, and how tools like Waystation and Smithery help manage them.

Overview

MCP servers generally fall into two categories: public and private. Public MCP servers are hosted by third parties and are often preconfigured for common APIs, making them easy to set up and quick to integrate for example, a GitHub MCP server for accessing repository data. Private MCP servers, on the other hand, run inside your own environment, such as Docker, Kubernetes, or a VM. While they require more setup and maintenance, they give you full control over access policies and security, which makes them especially suitable for handling sensitive or production-level data.

Comparison

Aspect	Public MCP Server	Private MCP Server
Setup	Ready to use	You manage deployment
Security	Shared / less control	Full control
Customizability	Limited	Highly customizable

Helpful Tools

• Waystation: Discover, test, and manage MCP servers.

• Smithery: Browse and publish MCP servers with hosting options.

Both platforms support different authentication methods like API keys, OAuth, or environment variables.