@brave/brave-search-mcp-server
@brave/brave-search-mcp-server
Brave's official search MCP server, backed by Brave's own independent index rather than reselling Google or Bing results. It supports web, news, image, video, and local business search.
Its distinguishing feature versus other search servers is privacy — Brave doesn't profile users or log search history. If you care whether the things your AI searches for get filed against you, that matters.
What it does for you
Gives your AI privacy-focused web search — query web, news, and images via Brave Search for real-time answers.
Capabilities
- Web / news search
- Local business search
Once installed, try asking your AI
Say this directly in Claude / Cursor or any client with this server connected
- ›“Search for news on this topic from the past week”
Why use it
Good for: anyone adding web access to an AI who also cares about search privacy.
Before connecting: you need a Brave Search API key. There's a free monthly quota, with paid usage beyond it — check pricing before heavy use.
Works with these clients
- Claude Desktopnpx
- Claude Codenpx
- Cursornpx
- VS Codenpx
- Windsurfnpx
Derived from the registry manifest (package type and transport) — we have not installed it ourselves. Check the official README before relying on it.
Install / Connect
claude mcp add brave-search-mcp-server -- npx -y @brave/brave-search-mcp-serverFollow the official README; env and args vary per server.
🛠️ Maintenance weight 30% · 72 pts
📊 Adoption weight 25% · 64 pts
✅ Usability weight 20% · 55 pts
❤️ Health & community weight 25% · 67 pts
Sources: GitHub API · npm registry · updated 2026-08-19
90-day trend
⭐ stars +0%
📦 weekly downloads +0%
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it free?
There's a free quota, then metered pricing. It's usually enough for individual day-to-day use.
How does it compare to Tavily or Exa?
Brave is a general search engine index — closer to "search the web like a person". Tavily and Exa shape results specifically for AI retrieval. All three are listed on this site if you want to compare their health data.
Similar / alternative servers
How to choose among these
Search servers all give web access; they differ between semantic retrieval and cited Q&A.
- Semantic web search + content (research / competitors)→Pick Exa — semantic search plus retrieval
- Distilled Q&A-style answers, fact-checking→Pick Tavily / Perplexity — AI-optimized answers
- Privacy-focused, general web/news search→Pick Brave Search
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