LaunchRepoShort answer
- Publish the package first (npm, PyPI, NuGet, crates.io, a container registry or an MCPB release), then publish its metadata to the official MCP Registry with the mcp-publisher tool.
- Directories and clients read the official registry, so this one step already feeds several of them. One of them currently accepts new servers only this way.
- Then add the places that need their own step: a pull request to awesome-mcp-servers, the Docker MCP Catalog for containers, the Cline marketplace and Smithery for hosted servers.
- Two directories charge: MCP Market sells an optional fast lane, and MCP.so offered only a paid route on the check date. The registry, the curated list and the client catalogs are free.
MCP server or AI agent?
Both get listed in “AI directories”, but they are different things and are found in different places. If you built a tool that AI applications connect to, you have an MCP server. If you built something that pursues a goal on its own, you have an agent.
| Aspect | MCP server | AI agent |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A program that gives an AI application tools, data or prompts through the Model Context Protocol. | An application that plans and acts toward a goal, often using tools, which may come from MCP servers. |
| Who connects | An MCP host, such as an AI coding tool, opens one client connection per server. | People give it a task; other agents can talk to it, for example over the A2A protocol. |
| How it ships | A package (npm, PyPI, container, MCPB) or a remote URL, described in server.json. | A web app, desktop app, API or a framework project. |
| Where it is listed | MCP registries, MCP directories and client marketplaces (this page). | AI agent directories and AI tool directories. |
| Rule | Official wording | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Server | Note that MCP server refers to the program that serves context data, regardless of where it runs. | Local or remote, it is an MCP server if it serves context to AI applications. |
| Host and client | MCP follows a client-server architecture where an MCP host — an AI application like Claude Code or Claude Desktop — establishes connections to one or more MCP servers. | Your users add your server to their AI application; that is where they find it. |
| Agents | The Agent2Agent (A2A) Protocol is an open standard designed to facilitate communication and interoperability between independent, potentially opaque AI agent systems. | Agent-to-agent communication has its own protocol and its own directories. |
Built an agent rather than a server? AI agent directory list: 10 free places to submit your agent →
MCP server →Best Claude Code marketing skills: 9 libraries, and the gap →
The ten places compared
Each row was checked on the publisher’s own page on the date below. Sizes are what each site showed that day.
- How to publish
- Command-line tool
- Review and ownership
- Namespace proven by GitHub login, DNS or HTTP; package carries an ownership marker
- Cost
- Free
- Size / status
- Feeds the directories below
Start here. Your server gets a reverse-DNS name such as io.github.you/weather.
- How to publish
- After the official registry, on request
- Review and ownership
- Selected by GitHub from servers in the official registry
- Cost
- Free
- Size / status
- 339 servers
GitHub announced self-publishing as a next step; until then inclusion is requested after publishing to the official registry.
- How to publish
- Picked up from the official registry
- Review and ownership
- Reads new servers from the official registry
- Cost
- Free
- Size / status
- Own submissions paused since Sep 3, 2026
No extra form needed: the official registry is its way in.
- How to publish
- Pull request on GitHub
- Review and ownership
- Maintainers review each pull request; public GitHub repository required
- Cost
- Free
- Size / status
- 95.7k stars
Add one line in the right category, alphabetically. Remote-only servers belong in the separate remote list.
- How to publish
- Web form
- Review and ownership
- Grades license, quality and maintenance; marks servers claimed by their authors
- Cost
- Free
- Size / status
- 94,571 servers
Its web directory is synced with awesome-mcp-servers, so the pull request also counts here.
- How to publish
- Pull request on GitHub
- Review and ownership
- Pull request review; Docker-built images are signed and come with an SBOM
- Cost
- Free
- Size / status
- Also in Docker Desktop’s MCP Toolkit
Choose the Docker-built option to get signatures and security updates.
- How to publish
- Command-line tool
- Review and ownership
- Scans your server for tools, prompts and resources; optional vendor verification
- Cost
- Free
- Size / status
- Streamable HTTP URL or MCPB bundle
If your server uses OAuth, answer 401 rather than 403 so the scan can complete.
- How to publish
- GitHub issue
- Review and ownership
- Reviewed for adoption, author credibility and a working setup
- Cost
- Free
- Size / status
- One-click install for its users
Send a 400×400 PNG logo and test that the agent can install the server from your README or llms-install.md.
- How to publish
- Web form
- Review and ownership
- Reviews the GitHub repository you submit
- Cost
- Free, or US$29 fast lane
- Size / status
- 48,486 servers
The free queue takes four to six weeks on average; the paid option lists within 24 hours.
- How to publish
- Web form
- Review and ownership
- Paid submissions are published without review
- Cost
- US$39 one-time
- Size / status
- Servers, clients and agents
On the check date the submit form offered only the paid route.
This comparison stops at ten on purpose: the official registry, the places that read from it, the biggest curated list and the main client catalogs.
What the directories say about submissions
| Rule | Official wording | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Paused form | We are not accepting new MCP server or client submissions right now, and we are not making changes to existing listings. | Do not wait for the form to reopen. |
| Recommended route | In the meantime, if you have a server to share, publish it to the Official MCP Registry. | Publishing to the official registry is the step this directory names. |
| List scope | This list is for servers with a public GitHub repository — something you install and run yourself. | Installable servers with a public repository go here; remote-only servers go to the remote list. |
| Docker-built | You'll submit the required information via pull request and upon approval Docker will build, sign, and publish your image to mcp/your-server-name on Docker Hub and the catalog entry will be available in the catalog in 24 hours. | After approval, Docker builds and signs your image and lists it within a day. |
| Logo | Logo Image: A 400×400 PNG that will serve as your server’s icon. | Prepare a square PNG before you open the issue. |
| Scan | Smithery scans your server to extract metadata (tools, prompts, resources) for your server page. | Your server page is built from what the scan finds; clear tool descriptions pay off. |
| Free queue | Avg. 4–6 week listing time. | Plan a month or more if you use the free route. |
| GitHub inclusion | Once you’ve completed the steps above, email partnerships@github.com and request for your server to be included. | GitHub’s registry is curated; inclusion is requested after the official publish. |
The order that saves work
Because so many directories read from the official registry and from awesome-mcp-servers, the order matters more than the number of forms.
- 1 · Ship the packagePublish to npm, PyPI, NuGet, crates.io, a supported container registry or as an MCPB release. Add the ownership marker the registry looks for.
- 2 · Publish to the official registryRun mcp-publisher init, adjust server.json, log in with GitHub, DNS or HTTP, then mcp-publisher publish. Each version can be published once.
- 3 · Let aggregators pick it upDirectories that read the registry update on their own schedule. For the GitHub registry, request inclusion once you are listed.
- 4 · Open one pull requestAdd one line to awesome-mcp-servers. Its web directory on Glama is synced with the list.
- 5 · Add the client catalogsDocker MCP Catalog for container images, the Cline marketplace for one-click installs, Smithery for hosted servers or MCPB bundles.
- 6 · Decide on fast lanesTwo directories sell faster or featured listings. Worth it only when a date matters; everything before this step is free.
Build your server.json
Fill in your namespace, package and version. The builder applies the registry’s naming rules and the limits of the official schema, shows the ownership marker your package needs and gives you a server.json to copy or download. It runs in your browser; nothing is sent.
Registry rules in their own words
The official registry is young and says so. These rules decide whether your publish succeeds.
| Rule | Official wording | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Preview status | The MCP Registry is currently in preview. Breaking changes or data resets may occur before general availability. | Keep your server.json in the repository so you can publish again after a reset. |
| Metadata only | The MCP Registry only hosts metadata, not artifacts. | Publish the package itself first; the registry only points to it. |
| Ownership | Publishers must verify ownership of their namespace through GitHub, DNS, or HTTP challenges, preventing arbitrary spam submissions. | You prove the namespace once: GitHub login, DNS record or a file on your domain. |
| Name format | If you choose GitHub-based authentication, your server’s name in server.json MUST be of the form io.github.username/* (or io.github.orgname/* ). | With GitHub login your server name starts with io.github.your-name/. |
| One version, once | The version string MUST be unique for each publication of the server. | Fix a mistake by publishing a new version, not by editing the old one. |
| Remote servers | A remote server MUST be publicly accessible at its specified URL. | A remote URL has to work from the internet, not just your network. |
| Public only | The MCP Registry does not support private servers. | Internal servers need a private registry, not this one. |
| Moderation | We only remove illegal content, malware, spam, and completely broken servers. | Low quality is not removed here; curated directories do the filtering. |
| Who reads it | The MCP Registry is intended to be consumed primarily by downstream aggregators, such as MCP server marketplaces. | Your listing reaches users through the directories and clients that read the registry. |
Promote an MCP server beyond the directories
Directories make you findable. These steps make people install and keep using the server.
- Install snippets in the README
- Show the exact configuration for the AI clients your users have, ready to copy. Most installs start from a README.
- Tool descriptions that explain
- AI models choose tools by their descriptions, and directories display them. Say what each tool does and when to use it.
- A short demo
- A GIF or video of one real task, from prompt to result, explains a server faster than a list of tools.
- Show HN when it is ready
- Once people can try it in minutes, a Show HN post on Hacker News with a plain title reaches developers who build with AI. How to launch on Show HN →
- Answer where builders ask
- Forums and chats of the AI clients and frameworks you support are where people ask for integrations. Help first, link second.
- Release notes
- Each new version in the registry is a reason to tell users what changed. Keep a changelog and link it.
Where LaunchRepo fits
LaunchRepo works inside your coding agent: the agent submits your product’s website to a large catalog of directories and launch platforms and keeps a tracker that tells a live listing from a pending one.
Publishing to the MCP registries on this page stays with you, because it needs your package accounts and namespace proof. LaunchRepo takes the general directory forms off your plate, so that time goes into the server.
Sources
Every row and rule was checked on October 1, 2026 on the publisher’s own page and is quoted word for word in English. Text copies are kept with our evidence.
| Source | Last updated | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| MCP docs: The MCP Registry | no date given | |
| MCP docs: Quickstart: Publish a Server | no date given | |
| MCP docs: Registry authentication | no date given | |
| MCP docs: Registry package types | no date given | |
| MCP docs: Remote servers in the registry | no date given | |
| MCP docs: Registry versioning | no date given | |
| MCP docs: The MCP Registry Moderation Policy | no date given | |
| MCP docs: Architecture overview | no date given | |
| Agent2Agent (A2A) Protocol Specification | no date given | |
| GitHub Blog: How to find, install, and manage MCP servers with the GitHub MCP Registry | ||
| GitHub MCP Registry | no date given | |
| PulseMCP: Submit a new MCP server or client | ||
| Smithery docs: Publish | no date given | |
| Glama: MCP Servers | ||
| punkpeye/awesome-mcp-servers | no date given | |
| punkpeye/awesome-mcp-servers: CONTRIBUTING.md | no date given | |
| punkpeye/awesome-mcp-servers: README (web directory note) | no date given | |
| docker/mcp-registry | no date given | |
| cline/mcp-marketplace | no date given | |
| MCP Market: Submit an MCP Server | no date given | |
| MCP.so: Submit your project | no date given |
Frequently asked questions
- Where should I list my MCP server first?
- In the official MCP Registry, after publishing the package itself. Several directories and clients read from it, so one publish reaches many places.
- Is the official MCP Registry free?
- Yes. You need a public package or a public remote URL and a namespace you can prove with a GitHub login, a DNS record or a file on your domain.
- What is the difference between an MCP server and an AI agent?
- An MCP server gives AI applications tools, data or prompts through the Model Context Protocol. An agent is an application that pursues goals and may use those tools. They are listed in different directories.
- Do I need server.json for every directory?
- No. It is required for the official registry. awesome-mcp-servers needs a pull request, Cline a GitHub issue, and the Docker catalog its own metadata file.
- Are paid MCP directory listings worth it?
- Only if a date matters. On the check date two directories charged one-time fees of US$29 and US$39. The official registry, awesome-mcp-servers and the client catalogs are free.
- Does LaunchRepo publish my MCP server?
- No. Registry publishing needs your package accounts and namespace proof. LaunchRepo submits your product website to general directories and launch platforms through your coding agent.
Let your agent handle the directories
One purchase, your coding agent, every product you build: LaunchRepo submits your website to directories and launch platforms while you keep building the server.
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