agent-search-mcp
★ 112
vs
stashbase
★ 1.1k
agent-search-mcp vs stashbase
agent-search-mcp: Agent Search MCP is an open-source, self-hosted web search router designed for AI agents, providing free, multi-source evidence with robust cost control. It supports both English and Chinese queries, offering compact output to reduce token costs for agent interactions.; stashbase: StashBase enables AI agents to search and utilize content from your local files, including PDFs, DOCX, images, audio, and video. It creates a searchable index from your folders, allowing agents to find relevant context by meaning rather than just keywords.
01
TL;DR
agent-search-mcpRAG / Knowledge Base · ★ 112
Integrating robust web search into AI agent clients such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or VS Code
stashbaseRAG / Knowledge Base · ★ 1.1k
When to choose:
- You want a desktop app that indexes folders of PDFs, DOCX, images, audio and video and shares them with Claude, Codex and other MCP clients.
- Your files must stay the source of truth: the index can be rebuilt, and removing a folder never deletes files.
- You want exact text search with no key, and semantic search only if you opt in.
When to skip:
- Your documents cannot leave the machine and you need semantic search: it sends content to OpenAI or OpenRouter.
- You are on Linux and need official support: Linux builds are community-supported.
- You only need one file converted now and then: an MCP converter is lighter.
02
Side-by-Side Comparison
Field
agent-search-mcpstashbaseCategory
RAG / Knowledge Base
RAG / Knowledge Base
Stars
★ 112
★ 1.1k
License
Apache-2.0
Apache-2.0
Install Command
npx -y agent-search-mcp
brew install --cask liliu-z/stashbase/stashbase
Updated
1mo ago
1d ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Tags
Web Search, AI Agents, Search Router
Local Files, RAG, AI Agents
03
Features
agent-search-mcp01Free web search with zero-key sources, eliminating the need for an API account
02Control provider costs with explicit routing policies for paid services
03Reduce token costs for LLMs through compact output and evidence budgeting
04Aggregates multi-source evidence, preserving provenance and handling partial failures
05Supports Chinese web search via Sogou and Baidu without a translation layer
stashbase01Extracts searchable text from various formats including PDFs, DOCX, images (OCR), audio, and video (transcription).
02Semantic search capabilities to find relevant context by meaning, supported by an AI Index.
03Connects and shares searchable context across Claude, Codex, and other MCP clients and built-in agents.
04Maintains local files as the source of truth, with indexes and derived data stored separately.
04
Use Cases
agent-search-mcp↳Integrating robust web search into AI agent clients such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or VS Code
↳Enabling AI agents to gather factual information and verify claims from multiple web sources
↳Developing agent-authored answers from cited evidence while managing token budgets effectively
↳Performing multilingual web searches, particularly for Chinese content, for various AI applications
stashbase↳Providing AI agents with searchable access to research papers and contracts stored locally.
↳Enabling chatbots to answer questions based on internal documentation, scanned documents, and recordings.
↳Developers wanting to query project design documents and architecture notes using a built-in AI agent.
↳Organizing and searching personal knowledge bases that primarily consist of diverse local file types.
05
Best For
agent-search-mcp—
stashbaseTrending
FAQ
FAQ
What is the difference between agent-search-mcp and stashbase?
Both agent-search-mcp and stashbase are in the RAG / Knowledge Base category. agent-search-mcp has 112 stars, while stashbase has 1.1k stars.
Which is better, agent-search-mcp or stashbase?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose agent-search-mcp if Integrating robust web search into AI agent clients such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or VS Code, and stashbase if Providing AI agents with searchable access to research papers and contracts stored locally..
Is agent-search-mcp free or open source?
Yes, agent-search-mcp is open source on GitHub (Apache-2.0).
Is stashbase free or open source?
Yes, stashbase is open source on GitHub (Apache-2.0).
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