# ContextForge

> Apache MCP+A2A+REST/gRPC→MCP gateway with governance + OTel

**Category:** AI Agents  
**Pricing:** open-source  
**URL:** https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge  
**GitHub:** https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge  
**Added:** 2026-09-25

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## The Hook

ContextForge is IBM’s open MCP gateway: federate MCP, A2A, and REST/gRPC into one governed endpoint with discovery, plugins, and OpenTelemetry.

## What's Good

Apache-2.0 (IBM/mcp-context-forge). Tools/Agent/API gateway surfaces, gRPC→MCP translation, 40+ plugins, OTel to Phoenix/Jaeger/Zipkin-class backends. PyPI (`mcp-contextforge-gateway`) and Docker/K8s deploy paths; runs as a compliant MCP server.

## The Catch

Vs SuperGateway and mcp-remote: ContextForge is a heavier self-host governance/observability gateway, not a thin MCP bridge. Vs Smithery: this is a self-host gate you operate, not a hosted MCP marketplace. Open-issue count is high for the maturity pitch; local/JWT setups need real secrets — do not ship example tokens.

## Verdict

Apache MCP/A2A gateway when you need federation + governance + OTel on your own infra and will pay the ops cost; skip if you only needed a thin remote MCP shim.