Everything Search MCP Server vs Perplexity

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

	Everything Search MCP Server Fast cross-platform file search via Everything SDK (Windows), mdfind (macOS), and locate (Linux). Unverified stdio (local) No auth Stale Python	Perplexity Official Perplexity MCP server — web search, ask, deep research, and reasoning via Sonar models. Verified stdio (local) API key TypeScript
Category	Search & Web	Search & Web
Language	Python	TypeScript
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	API key
GitHub stars	336	2.3k
Last commit	8 months ago	1 month ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`pip install mcp-server-everything-search`	`npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-server`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Everything Search MCP Server if you want zero-setup with no API key.

Pick Perplexity if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Add Everything Search MCP Server

Install / run

pip install mcp-server-everything-search

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "everything-search-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-server-everything-search"
      ],
      "env": {
        "EVERYTHING_SDK_PATH": "path/to/Everything-SDK/dll/Everything64.dll"
      }
    }
  }
}

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

Add Perplexity

Install / run

npx -y @perplexity-ai/mcp-server

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "perplexity": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@perplexity-ai/mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "<your-perplexity-api-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Everything Search MCP Server or Perplexity — which is better?

Pick Everything Search MCP Server if you want zero-setup with no API key. Pick Perplexity if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Can I use both Everything Search MCP Server and Perplexity?

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 Everything Search MCP Server and Perplexity work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

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

View Everything Search MCP Server →View Perplexity →More comparisons →