# MCP Registry

> Canonical protocol-org community MCP server registry

**Category:** AI Agents  
**Pricing:** open-source  
**URL:** https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io  
**GitHub:** https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry  
**Added:** 2026-09-25

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## The Hook

The MCP Registry is the protocol org’s community “app store” for MCP servers: publish once, let clients discover the canonical list.

## What's Good

Canonical modelcontextprotocol/registry with live API at registry.modelcontextprotocol.io and publish docs in-tree. Self-host path via compose for local/dev. The free bar is the open registry itself — not a freemium listing product.

## The Catch

Vs Smithery: this is the protocol-org community registry, not a hosted freemium marketplace/CLI product. LICENSE is mid MIT→Apache-2.0 transition (Apache body + MIT-holdout preamble); GitHub SPDX often shows NOASSERTION — redistribution diligence required during the mixed-license era. Still in preview / API-freeze posture; pin expectations before building a business on the API shape.

## Verdict

Canonical community MCP registry when you want protocol-org discovery; treat the license transition and preview API as real compliance and product risk.