Best free web search MCP servers: tested agent tools and MCP servers
As of 2026-10-22, TestedMCP tested 9 web search MCP servers; 2 free servers scored 100/100 and 1 deprecated server is listed below under "Don't use".
Last tested 2026-10-22 · How we test
Free-tier limits change often. Check the vendor's pricing page before relying on them.
Free labels are assigned by hand as of 2026-10-22 and haven't yet been re-checked against vendor pricing pages.
Ranked free options
| Rank | Server | Free label | Score | Install | Handshake | Maintenance | Docs | License | Tools | Last tested | Install |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Firecrawl repo | Free tier of a paid API | 100 | pass (20) | pass (30) | pass (25) | pass (15) | pass (10) | 26 | Last tested 2026-10-22 | npx -y firecrawl-mcp |
| 2 | Tavily repo | Free tier of a paid API (keyless Search/Extract) | 100 | pass (20) | pass (30) | pass (25) | pass (15) | pass (10) | 5 | Last tested 2026-10-22 | npx -y tavily-mcp |
| 3 | Exa repo | Free tier of a paid API (hosted endpoint has a keyless rate-limited mode) | 93 | pass (20) | pass (30) | pass (25) | pass (15) | partial (3) | 2 | Last tested 2026-10-22 | npx -y exa-mcp-server |
Notes on each server
1. Firecrawl
MCP initialize + tools/list over stdio succeeded with no credentials; 26 tools listed in 21.7s. Repo pushed 0 days before test; 7,667 GitHub stars. MIT (OSI-approved).
2. Tavily
MCP initialize + tools/list over stdio succeeded with no credentials; 5 tools listed in 5.6s. Repo pushed 0 days before test; 2,452 GitHub stars. MIT (OSI-approved).
3. Exa
MCP initialize + tools/list over stdio succeeded with no credentials; 2 tools listed in 10.2s. Repo pushed 2 days before test; 5,158 GitHub stars. License not machine-detected as OSI (no license found).
Also tested (not ranked: pricing not yet verified)
- arXiv: score 100, handshake pass, Last tested 2026-10-22
- DuckDuckGo Search: score 90, handshake pass, Last tested 2026-10-22
- Airbnb: score 90, handshake pass, Last tested 2026-10-22
- Wikipedia: score 80, handshake pass, Last tested 2026-10-22
- Simple arXiv: score 80, handshake pass, Last tested 2026-10-22
Don't use
- Brave Search (legacy reference) (
@modelcontextprotocol/server-brave-search), score 45: npm saysPackage no longer supported. Contact Support at https://www.npmjs.com/support for more info.
. Replacement: none identified.
When to upgrade to a paid option
- You need high-volume scraping or crawling beyond a free tier. Options: ScrapingBee (affiliate, link pending), Apify (affiliate, link pending), Bright Data Browser API (affiliate, link pending). TestedMCP score: Not yet tested.
- You've hit the free-tier limits of the search API you already use. Options: Firecrawl paid plans (Affiliate), Exa paid plans, Tavily paid plans. TestedMCP score: Same servers as ranked above; paid plans not separately tested.
Links marked (Affiliate) earn TestedMCP a commission; links marked (affiliate, link pending) are inert placeholders until programs are approved. Free options above are never affiliate links.
FAQ
What is the best free web search MCP server?
Firecrawl ranks first with a TestedMCP score of 100/100 (tested 2026-10-22). Ties are broken by GitHub stars; affiliate status is never used.
Do I need an API key?
Firecrawl: no key needed for the MCP handshake; Tavily: no key needed for the MCP handshake; Exa: no key needed for the MCP handshake. A working handshake without a key doesn't mean the backing service is free.
Is Brave Search (legacy reference) deprecated?
Yes. Status: "Package no longer supported. Contact Support at https://www.npmjs.com/support for more info." (tested 2026-10-22).
What's the difference between free and free tier?
Free means open source with no paid service behind it. Free tier means the server is open source but the API behind it meters usage, and heavy use is paid.
Does TestedMCP get paid for rankings?
No. Rankings come only from our automated tests. Affiliate links appear only in the 'When to upgrade' section and never affect scores or order.