PPubMed MCP

Tested npm @cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server 2.12.0 (Apache-2.0; repo cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server, 167 GitHub stars when checked; community project, not made by NCBI/NLM). Stdio, 12 tools over the public NCBI E-utilities (and Europe PMC, Unpaywall), no key (NCBI rate-limits keyless use; an optional NCBI API key raises it). Real calls: pubmed_search_articles for 'CRISPR sickle cell disease' returned 3 of 499 hits, pubmed_spell_check corrected 'alzhiemer diseese', and pubmed_lookup_mesh returned MeSH entries for Hypertension.
Tool-call test (2026-11-11, direct MCP stdio client, no LLM): pass. 3 of 3 read calls passed against public NCBI APIs, no key. Evidence: local test run, Nov 11, 2026.

Transport (tested 2026-11-11): stdio

Score 100/100 · Tools 12 · Token cost approx. 8,052 tokens · Compare · Last tested 2026-11-11 · Version tested 2.12.0 · Package @cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server · Repo cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server

Summary: PubMed MCP completed an MCP handshake without credentials and exposed 12 tools.

Evidence summary

Handshake

pass

Tools listed

12

Context cost

approx. 8052 tokens, cl100k estimate (12 tools, measured 2026-11-11, version 2.12.0; an estimate) ranking · add up your servers' context cost

API key

No key needed for the tools we called

Tested

2026-11-11

Test results

Local-model readiness

Token cost (estimate): approx. 8052 tokens, cl100k estimate for 12 tools · about 98% of an 8k context. This is an estimate from our testing (counted with cl100k_base).

Small-model friendly (schema heuristic, not a model result): unknown.

What we tested and what we didn't

Methodology: how we test. A high score means it installs and responds, not that giving it access to your data carries no risk.

{
  "name": "@cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server",
  "version": "2.12.0",
  "registry": "npm",
  "status": "working",
  "tested": "2026-11-11",
  "tools_count": 12,
  "deprecated": false,
  "archived": false,
  "tests": {
    "install": [
      "pass",
      20,
      "`npm install @cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server` (Node 20, Linux) succeeded in 2s."
    ],
    "handshake": [
      "pass",
      30,
      "MCP `initialize` + `tools/list` over stdio succeeded with no credentials; 12 tools listed in 6.5s."
    ],
    "maintenance": [
      "pass",
      25,
      "Repo pushed 7 days before test; 167 GitHub stars."
    ],
    "docs": [
      "pass",
      15,
      "README over 3,000 chars; install instructions present; `mcpServers` config example present. Check of the package's own README (README shipped in npm package)."
    ],
    "license": [
      "pass",
      10,
      "Apache-2.0 (OSI-approved)."
    ]
  }
}

Install

npx -y @cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-serverCopy

Pin the version we tested

npx -y @cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server@2.12.0Copy

tested 2026-11-11. Newer versions may differ and were not tested by us.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pubmed-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server@2.12.0"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tools listed

pubmed_convert_ids, pubmed_europepmc_fetch, pubmed_europepmc_search, pubmed_fetch_articles, pubmed_fetch_citation_metrics, pubmed_fetch_fulltext, pubmed_find_related, pubmed_format_citations, pubmed_lookup_citation, pubmed_lookup_mesh, pubmed_search_articles, pubmed_spell_check

Tool history: captured Nov 11, 2026. All tool history.

Quick config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pubmed-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add to config Opens the config generator with this server selected.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pubmed-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Is PubMed MCP deprecated?

No. @cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server was not deprecated or archived when we last tested it on 2026-11-11.

What replaces PubMed MCP?

Nothing; PubMed MCP is not deprecated as of 2026-11-11.

Does PubMed MCP need an API key?

No. It completed an MCP handshake with no credentials and listed 12 tools.

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