AgentIndex icon
AgentIndex
barbacane logo
barbacane
★ 29
vs
mcp-gateway logo
mcp-gateway
★ 85

barbacane vs mcp-gateway

barbacane: Barbacane is a spec-driven API gateway built in Rust. It uses OpenAPI/AsyncAPI specs as configuration, compiles them into sealed artifacts, and provides routing, validation, authentication, AI traffic management, and MCP support. It features fast performance, security by default, and an extensible plugin system.; mcp-gateway: MCP Gateway sits between AI clients and tools, exposing 4 meta-tools for dynamic discovery. It supports unlimited backends via MCP protocols and REST APIs with YAML capabilities, saving up to 97% token overhead. Features include hot reload, circuit breakers, and a web dashboard.

01

TL;DR

barbacane logo
barbacaneDev Tooling · ★ 29

API gateway for microservices with spec-driven routing and validation

Read barbacane full review →
mcp-gateway logo
mcp-gatewayDev Tooling · ★ 85

Connect multiple MCP servers without context window limit

Read mcp-gateway full review →
02

Side-by-Side Comparison

Field
barbacane logobarbacane
mcp-gateway logomcp-gateway
Category
Dev Tooling
Dev Tooling
Stars
★ 29
★ 85
License
AGPL-3.0
MIT
Install Command
git clone https://github.com/barbacane-dev/barbacane.git && cd barbacane && cargo build --release
brew tap MikkoParkkola/tap && brew install mcp-gateway
Updated
1w ago
1d ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Website
↗ Visit
↗ Visit
GitHub
↗ GitHub
↗ GitHub
Tags
ai, ai-gateway, ai-gateways
ai, anthropic, claude
03

Features

barbacane logobarbacane
01Spec as config — your OpenAPI/AsyncAPI spec is the single source of truth
02Fast and predictable — Rust, Tokio, and Hyper, with route lookup in ~83 ns
03Secure by default — memory-safe runtime, TLS via Rustls, sandboxed WASM plugins
04AI gateway built-in — unified LLM routing with provider fallback and dedicated middlewares
05MCP from your spec — every operation is automatically exposed as a Model Context Protocol tool
mcp-gateway logomcp-gateway
01Unlimited tools with minimal tokens (97% savings)
02Any REST API to MCP tool via YAML or OpenAPI import
03Hot reload without losing AI session
04Production resilience (circuit breakers, retry, rate limiting)
05Web dashboard for live status and cost tracking
04

Use Cases

barbacane logobarbacane
↳API gateway for microservices with spec-driven routing and validation
↳AI proxy to unify multiple LLM providers with fallback and policy enforcement
↳Expose existing OpenAPI specs as MCP tools for AI agents
mcp-gateway logomcp-gateway
↳Connect multiple MCP servers without context window limit
↳Turn any REST API into an MCP tool without coding
↳Change MCP configuration without restarting AI session
FAQ

FAQ

What is the difference between barbacane and mcp-gateway?
Both barbacane and mcp-gateway are in the Dev Tooling category. barbacane has 29 stars, while mcp-gateway has 85 stars.
Which is better, barbacane or mcp-gateway?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose barbacane if API gateway for microservices with spec-driven routing and validation, and mcp-gateway if Connect multiple MCP servers without context window limit.
Is barbacane free or open source?
Yes, barbacane is open source on GitHub (AGPL-3.0).
Is mcp-gateway free or open source?
Yes, mcp-gateway is open source on GitHub (MIT).
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Related

Alternatives to barbacane →Alternatives to mcp-gateway →barbacane details →mcp-gateway details →