91 packages installed
for a hello world.
zeromcp vs @modelcontextprotocol/sdk — side by side.
This is a hello world
3 imports. A server class. A Zod schema. A transport. 12 lines before your tool does anything.
import { McpServer } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js";
import { StdioServerTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/stdio.js";
import { z } from "zod";
const server = new McpServer({ name: "test", version: "1.0.0" });
server.tool("hello", { name: z.string() }, async ({ name }) => ({
content: [{ type: "text", text: `Hello, ${name}!` }],
}));
const transport = new StdioServerTransport();
await server.connect(transport);This is the whole server
No server class. No schema library. No transport setup.
Drop it in a folder and run zeromcp serve.
// tools/hello.js
export default {
description: "Say hello to someone",
input: {
name: 'string',
},
execute: async ({ name }) => {
return `Hello, ${name}!`;
},
};HTTP Performance — Head to Head
Same hello tool. Same methodology. 5-minute sustained load in Docker. bare http for ZeroMCP, stdio proxy for the official SDK.
ZeroMCP HTTP Frameworks
ZeroMCP embedded natively in Node.js frameworks. No proxy. No subprocess. 300-second sustained load.
What's different
- SandboxEnforced. Not advisory.
- CredentialsPer-directory. Not
process.env. - ProcessesOne. Not N.
- Hot reloadBuilt-in. Not restart.
- ComposabilityConnect remote MCP servers. Official SDK can't.
- TransportStreamable HTTP by default. Stdio too.
When to use the official SDK
ZeroMCP makes trade-offs. Here's what you give up.
ZeroMCP implements tools only. If you need MCP resources, prompts, or sampling, use the official SDK.
ZeroMCP uses a simplified input format. If your team standardizes on Zod for runtime type checking, the official SDK uses it natively.
The official SDK tracks every spec change immediately. ZeroMCP prioritizes stability over spec completeness.
The official SDK is maintained by the MCP specification team at Anthropic. ZeroMCP is maintained by the antidrift team (Reloop Labs, LLC).