Fetch (Reference) vs AWS API MCP Server

A side-by-side comparison of two Search & Web servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	Fetch (Reference) Official MCP reference server that fetches a URL and returns its content as clean Markdown, with chunking. Verified stdio (local) No auth Python	AWS API MCP Server Official AWS Labs server that lets agents call any AWS API via the AWS CLI surface. Verified stdio (local) API key Python
Category	Search & Web	DevOps & Cloud
Language	Python	Python
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	API key
GitHub stars	87k	9.3k
Last commit	10 days ago	7 days ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`uvx mcp-server-fetch`	`uvx awslabs.aws-api-mcp-server@latest`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Fetch (Reference) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want zero-setup with no API key.

Pick AWS API MCP Server if you prefer its approach (official aws labs server that lets agents call any aws api via the aws cli surface).

Add Fetch (Reference)

Install / run

uvx mcp-server-fetch

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fetch-reference": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-server-fetch"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

Add AWS API MCP Server

Install / run

uvx awslabs.aws-api-mcp-server@latest

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aws-api-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "awslabs.aws-api-mcp-server@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AWS_REGION": "us-east-1",
        "AWS_PROFILE": "<your-aws-profile>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

FAQ

Fetch (Reference) or AWS API MCP Server — which is better?

Pick Fetch (Reference) if you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option, and you want zero-setup with no API key. Pick AWS API MCP Server if you prefer its approach (official aws labs server that lets agents call any aws api via the aws cli surface).

Can I use both Fetch (Reference) and AWS API MCP Server?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do Fetch (Reference) and AWS API MCP Server work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View Fetch (Reference) →View AWS API MCP Server →More comparisons →